Eye of the Hawk
by Malice Shaw
Summary: Dispair
1. Reflection.

Reflection.   
********** 

Ian took a long, hard drag off his cigarette, and puffed out a cloud of blue grey smoke, watching it drift towards his open window. He knew he wasn't supposed to be smoking, with him being underaged at just barely seventeen, and his mother being a high official in the army of Esthar. The good kid, he was demanded to be, took it's toll. Most of the time he could be the perfect angel if he wished to be. Hell, there were barely any sins on his list that he's committed, aside from taking the last piece of chocolate cake that was relished with strawberries and eating it down with a glass of wine. How was he supposed to know that was Laguna's favorite? Doesn't matter. The old man was a kind guy, real nice, and simply whimpered a bit when Ian finished off the last bite. He even said it was alright, that his cholestrol was too high anyway, and just happened to share another glass of wine with the young youth. 

As long as his mother never, ever found out. 

Or his head, along with Ian's, would be on the platter formally occupied by the cake. 

Another drag, and Ian stubbed out the burning butt, watching as the smoke drifted until it finally disappeared. He started smoking a year ago, when he turned sixteen, just to see what the big deal about it was. After the first drag he ever took, he nearly coughed up a lung and vowed to never try the foul thing again. He took up the nasty habit after his mother had been missing for three weeks on a mission that should have only taken a few hours, a day at most. By the third day he was up to half a pack, and still getting stronger until she finally returned, scratched up and bruised but alive. Apparently the Corsair, the newly fangled airship designed by Odine, had broken down and they landed on the Island closest to Hell, and fought for their survival to find bits and pieces of the objects that could repair the screwy engine. Ian listened carefully, and nearly stood up to go strangle Odine with his bare hands until his mother gripped his wrist and shook her head in that silent way, that always made him do her bidding. 

Standing up, Ian looked himself over in the mirror, and frowned. Mom always loved his hair, a flaxen pale blond. The way he always left it cut, with most of it moussed back and just his bangs hailing down infront of his face and sometimes one side pulled back behind his ear showed off his mature looks, high cheek bone structure and rare smile. Everyone who knew him always said he had his father's smile, even his mom sometimes, whenever she could mention his father with out choking up. He knew damned well he didn't get at least one of his eyes from her. His left eye held a deep dashing emerald green, while his right eye remained a deep cobalt blue, like his mother's lovely face held. At one time he begged and pleaded with her to let him get contacts, and finally got his wish when a trip to the doctor's percieved that he indeed inherited her slightly weak eyesight. She relented in paying the extra fifteen dollars to get him colored and clear ones, just so he would be left alone. If it wasn't some girl sitting there trying to flaunt her body to him and telling him that she simply adored his unusual eyes, it was the jerk across the lane who would tease him nonestop, jealous over the fact that he stole his last girlfriend from the useless slob 

His last girlfriend, what a bitch. Another regret there. Just the thought of Celest made him want to smoke a whole pack and blow it all in her face. She was a looker, with dark hair and sky blue eyes, a cute little figure too. Shame she just didn't realize that because he was a good looking guy didn't mean he wanted in her pants the minute he met her. Every time he made an attempt to touch her, even if it was to just wrap an arm around her shoulder she'd shy away, give him a dirty stare and stalk off. After six weeks it became too much and he dumped her. She went around with a sob story, saying that he had tried to take advantage of her, and when she refused he dropped her faster than a Ruby Dragon would a small child. When this caught wind with his mother, she smiled thinly and nodded, and packing up her Save the Queen, went out the door shouting over her shoulder that she would 'take care of it.' The next day Celest was found tied up and naked infront of the mall with "Lying Bitch" hand painted on her body, and fliars next to her feet explaining why. 

No one would ever say that Quistis Trepe didn't love her son. 

But they can say she was a wee bit overprotective. 

Ian heard a knock on his door, and he turned to it, frowning. Walking back to his bed, he grabbed the remote off the table next to his bed and flipped onj the TV, hiding his ashtray under his bed. 

"Come in and see me naked in all my hunky glorified nudeness! Ten gil per glance! Come and get it!" He shouted, in his beck auctioneer voice. A feminine giggle from behind the door made him smile. Mom. 

She opened the door, and Ian smirked at her. Even if she was nearing forty, aside from a laugh line or two, she was still a beauty. Sometimes he would have to slam a fist into someone's nose whenever she walked down the street, simply because they made a disgusting remark about 'stuffing her like a thanks givin' turkey' or something else lucid and unnattractive. Right she was wearing the yellow sweater he got her for her birthday last year. She always said that yellow made her look pasty, but he never saw it. It only brought out the bright color of her hair, and even if she wasn't the type to be so daring, she wore the sweat the was it was meant to be, off the shoulder and tucked into a pair of blue jeans that most men would kill to see her walk in. Amazing how she could hold herself up so well. Ian snickered slightly and shook his head, standing up and walking to her. "Hey Mom." 

"Hey there green eyes." She snickered, lifting a hand to rub the side of his cheek. "Guess what." 

"Yo?" he said, tugging on his shirt. It was well worn, and fitted too tightly against him, but Mom didn't care. As long as he was happy and didn't commit a crime and comfortable, it didn't really matter. 

"Ordin is taking me out tonight. Would you like to come with us? We'll watch something hidiously bloody and gore filled, just for you." She chided into him, reaching upwards to stroke his hair back behind his ears. "You need a haircut, young man." 

"Ah, Mom, come on.." Ian muttered, pulling away jokingly. Only male figure he ever had in his life was Laguna, who chastised Uncle along with the other woman, Aunt Ellone. They weren't his family by blood, but they made him feel more then welcome to join the clan. After all, since his mother called Ellone her 'Big Sis' he felt it more then fitting to call her Aunt. The woman was always warm, playful in additude and just completely sweet to him. Who couldn't love her? Sometimes he'd catch her and his mother talking in terms of his father, and his mother would battle tears. Time doesn't heal all wounds, obviously. 

"So whatta ya say Tiger. You up for a little cinima at the theaters?" She took his hand away from his hair, and shoved it into her pocket. "We'll go for pizza or something afterwards. Whatever you want." 

So she was still scared about dating. "Mom, it's been a long time since dad died. And i know you've only started dating recently and all that crap.." She opened her mouth to interrupt him, but he silenced her with a wave of his hand. "But hey, no one wants to be lonely." 

"Are you positive Ian?" She asked him. "I don't know how you're taking-" 

"You dating?" He inquired. Moving away, Ian sat down on his bed and pulled the remote from under himself, switching off the television. "I don't know how I should Mom. I've never known my dad. He's probably dead by now, like you said. So why should you spend your life mourning a ghost?" 

She chuckled then, sadly, and sat down enxt to him. Raising a hand to stroke his hair, she murmered. "Ian Renzuka Trepe.." 

"Quistis Contessa Trepe." He joked back at her. A frown crossed his face. "Mom, where did you get my middle name?" 

Her hand froze in mid stroke, and she placed it in her lap. "The woman who delievered you helped me name you. A wonderful woman. When no one was around, and you were just too damned eager to join the real world, she helped carry you into life." A smile crossed Quistis' lips. "She was a lovely woman. Her name was Youngju Kim." 

"Pretty name." Ian whispered. 

"Isn't it? When I asked her how I could repay her, all she said was somehow, give you the name Renzuka. She said it meant 'The Hawk' and I saw it as fitting." Quistis smirked. "You are in someways like a hawk." 

"You've called my father that before." He whispered. Quistis sighed. 

"He was.. He was. In every way possible, like a hawk. Only in a good way." Quistis grinned up at him. "When did you get so damned tall?" 

Ian grinned back at her. "I was six foot even last time you complained." 

"When was that?" 

"Last week." 

Quistis groaned and jabbed him in the ribs. Ian smirked and crossed his arms, giving her a sly smile. Once again he overruled Mom. "Hey mom?" 

"Yes?" 

"Do I look like him?" 

Quistis' smile faded slowly, as her eyes traced each masculine feature on Ian's face. From his jawline to his eyes, or at least one of them, to the strong nose and even the pale blond of his hair, everything about him reminded her of Seifer everyday. Even his heigh and body build. She half wondered if the only thing he inherited from her own self was his eyeshape, his blue eye, and the straightness of his hair. Along with his calm demeanor as well. In every way he was artlessly handsome, each time he smiled he showed more of her in his face then Seifer, until a slight upturn of the corner of his mouth showed more and more like Seifer himself. 

She thanked the Hyne everyday for him, each time he cried and she held him as his tears wetted her shirt to the skin. Every time he scraped his knee and she would bandage it, or even the few times he would claim there was a boogie man under the bed, and either she or Laguna, Hyne bless his soul, would stay the night with him, sleeping on the floor. When she was gone on a mission for the Esthar army, Ellone would babysit him, hold him when he had nightmares, 

"Yes. You do." Quistis murmered, gazing into emerald eyes. "Now." She said, standing up. "Let's get going okay?" 

"Yes Mom." 

"That's what I like to hear." She snickered, lacing her arms over her stomach. "Now come on, get your butt into gear already, or we'll see some sappy thing starring nothing but an all female cast." 

"Oh boy, Revenge of the Lunar Cry Babes!" Ian jumped up and down happily, clapping his hands like a mechanical monkey. 

"Nope. This movie will be nothing but a bunch of A-cup feminist dissing the ground men walk on." 

Scowling playfully, Ian crossed his arms, mimicking Quistis' stern glare and stance. "You can really spoil the moment mom. Why do ya do it?" 

"Because I'm the momma, that's why." 

With a chuckle and a scathing look from her son, Quistis left him to dress, and Ian caught his reflection in the mirror above his dresser. He looked like his father, huh. Hesitantly, he gazed into the reflection and searched the mirror boy's face for any sign of who his father was, and if he was meant to be the same man he thought of in his dreams. 

Yet all he could find was Ian. 

********************************************** 

Hyne, had it truely been that long? 

Almost eighteen years have passed since she left Balamb Garden. She promised to call, and only did once, after Ian was born, but she didn't dare tell them she had a baby. Word would get around. They would know who the father was, strictly by the timing. Whenever Squall would come visit the palace, her and Ian would leave until the coast was clear enough for them to come back. That only happened once a month, and Ian never knew the truth as to why they had to leave. She claimed it was just a mother son get away, so they could catch up in the lives of one another, commune again. Even though the trips were as if they she was running away, she always enjoyed them, each time they spent time together was wonderful. 

Through laguna's talks with Squall, Quistis learned a number of things about her old friends. Selphie and Irvine were still together, engaged but no wedding date set due to the fact Irvine had cheated on her once after a huge argument, and he went on a drinking binge. The arguement was so silly even, Selphie wanted to be married that year and Irvine just wanted to wait a while. Now, they were engaged and still pending, even though it was Selphie now who wanted to wait, and Irvine who just sulked yet agreed. 

Rinoa and Squall were married a year after Quistis left. She didn't recieve an invitation, due to the fact they had no idea where she was, but Squall still talked about how Rinoa wanted to wait until they found her so she could come. Through tears Rinoa finally agreed, and now they were happy with a little boy around fifteen, named Taelon, who weilded the Sharp shot like his mother and practiced the magic of water and wind. Both mother and son worked at the Garden, Rinoa as an Instructor and Squall as the Commander. 

Zell and Amie had two beautiful twin girls, around sixteen named Collete and Giselle. Collete was a strict tomboy, who preferred to use her fists, hated make up, and constantly wore jeans to everything, no matter what the occasion. Just like her father, she inherited his rough temper and soft spot for hotdogs, and had beautiful sea blue eyes along with auburn hair. Giselle on the other hand was more intended to her mother, with Amie's charming dark brown eyes and tastes for the most beautiful and delicate of things, such as flowers and roses, quiet moments in the library and glittery clothing. Mostly skirts, she weilded a sai for fun and was the most inept magic weilder of the pair. Zell and Amie both taught classes at Garden, but only part time and lived in Balamb, retiring early after Ma Dincht passed on, and Zell inherited her house. 

Cid and Edea raised their son and daughter, Gabrian and Contess, beautiful twins from what Quistis saw of the photos Squall left behind. They too participated part time in Garden, with Cid being Garden Master and Edea being the Head Mistress. Gabrian was an expert marksmen, under the teachings of Irvine, while Contess studied under Squall, weilding a gunblade with out mercy. Both Kramers where deeply in lvoe with their children, and encouraged them everyday. 

Xu still worked as a secretary, single as ever, and Nida left Garden years ago, after he and Xu had a falling out. The woman regretted everyday that she didn't elope with him like he asked, and Nida was never seen around Balamb again. The last time any one had noticed him was that he was in Dollet, owned a bar called 'Sweet Viper's Touch' and wrote stories about Garden and it's warfares. he was doing fairly well, Quistis sighed, and hoped he would continue to do so for as long as Hyne granted him life. 

Quistis walked away from the door, tears stinging her eyes. With a sniffle she wiped her nose and tugged down on her sweater. Talking about Seifer with Ian was going to be so damned hard now. Years, has it been? Has it been that damned long? Walking down teh elegant hall of the palce, Quistis reflected back on her adventure to here, and how she came to be part of this compound. 

Laguna was so kind. When she showed up in Estar, three months pregnant and scared, he had taken her in under his wing and along with Ellone, helped her raise her child. In payment, which she begged him to let her repay him in anyway, she was a part time commander of the Esthar Army, and she made a damned good one as well. With Ellone she lived here, and she swore both Laguna and Sis to secrecy of her and Ian's whereabouts. The last thing wanted was to have any affiliation with Garden. At least, not for a little while, until she could muster up the courage to tell them about Ian. Deep down, she still resented Squall for knocking her out and taking her away from Seifer. He ddin't deserve to die like that, so.. non chalant.. he deserved a heroic death, or best yet, none at all. 

Reaching her room, she gave a passing smile to Ellone, who waifted into her room after her. The woman was still artlessly lovely in her own way, so gentle and kind. The scars on her arms had faded to an eerie lighter pigment, simply making it look as if she was just freckled. Her long straight hair was pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of her neck, and every once in a while she lifted a nimble hand to touch it. 

"Quisty." She murmered. Quistis flinched. She was the only one who called her Quisty these days. "Are you sure you wish to go through with this tonight?" 

She breathed out a sigh and drifted towards her dresser, peering at a small velvet box. "No." 

"You don't have to, Quisty." Ellone said sweetly, standing up. "It's still alright to mourn." 

"No..No it isn't." Quistis murmered, puilling an old wedding ring form the velvet box. Placing it upon her left hand, she sighed. It still fit. "Ian looks so much like him." 

Ellone nodded, standing behind her. Taking her hand in her own, she watched as the light glistened off the princess cut diamond, winking in every direction before letting Quistis' hand go. "When did you last cry?" 

"Excuse me?" Quistis asked, frowning slightly. 

"Cry, Quisty. When did you last shed a tear?" 

"Seifer.." Quistis murmered, and turned away. Opened her eyes she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Quistis Trepe still lived as half a soul. Her other half died, almost eighteen years ago, leaving her only half of the woman she used to be. Quistis Trepe, who dated every once in a while, was raising an adorable son with out the aid of a father, still able to snap a whip at the crack of dawn loud enough to wake half the neighborhood. The Quistis Trepe who married the Garden's most troubled student turned excellent Instructor from a moment's notice was gone. She was replaced by Quistis Trepe with grey streaks in her hair, small bags under her eyes that signalled when she was tired and a son who was the spitting image of his father, so much so that each glance at him when he had a pleasant smirk across his face made her wish to sink back into the past and relive each tireless moment in Seifer's arms. 

"Quisty?" Ellone murmered. 

"Sis..Please...Leave. I have to get ready for my date tonight." Quistis looked away from her reflection. 

"Are you sure?" She asked, genuine concern in her voice. 

Flashing Ellone a grin, Quistis nodded. "Of course. Can you go check on Ian for me? See if he's doing anything unlawful or something of that sort, and see if he's almost ready? And tell him to change into something decent, please? I'm not taking him out again with him wearing a halter top and kilt." 

A laugh escaped from Ellone's lips. "He did that when you grounded him for getting into a fight with your General, correct?" 

"Yes." Quistis hissed. "He believed he was right, and wore that ridiculous outfit just to prove me wrong." She flung back her hair and sighed. "So would you terribly mind?" 

Ellone raised a hand and smiled, nodding her approval and getting up to leave. She cast another soulful glance in Quistis' direction before exiting the door, closing it behind her. 

Finally. Alone. Quistis' smile died on her lips, and once again she caught her image in the coated glass of her mirror, and watched carefully, trying to note any changes that might appear before her vey own eyes. At first, the woman in the mirror seemed younger, slightly jubilant at the upcoming festivities. Time with a fine gentleman, time with her son, it would have been perfect. Right? 

Her exterior crumbled before she could stop it. The woman in the mirror's eyes overflew with tears, and her throat seemed to be stopped up with sobs. Laying her slim arms ontop of the table, Quistis leaned her head into them and cried long and hard until she didn't have any more tears left, letting the dam inside of her break open and finally over whelm her and take control. Finally heaving one last breath, she turned upwards and gazed into the reflection once more, before shaking her head and turning away, escaping it's tired truths of who she was, what she lost, and would never again retrieve. 

Damn you Quistis, she hissed to herself. Damn it all. 

*******************************************************************************  
Renzuka is owned by Youngju Kim, a GREAT author on ff.net. Thank you for picking up a nice middle name that would work for the son of Quistis and Seifer Trepe. 


	2. Pizza.

Pizza. 

******* 

Pizza was good. 

Ian chewed down into his third slice of pepperoni pizza dipped in ranch sauce, and flipped through a magazine. The movie they had just seen, Of Knights and High Winds, proved to be a dud. Romance in a flick was not exactly Ian's favorite type, and the googly sounds of Quistis and Ordin next to him was enough to make him lose his lunch. Thank Hyne for pizza after movie time, where he can eat a hole through Ordin's wallet and the man only simply sit back with a grim smile and make an ever casual remark about how the boy could stay so thin. Ian looked up after his casual remark and smirked, giving a raised eyebrow before retreating back into his demeanor of reading. 

Weapons Monthly seemed more interesting lately, since Ordin started showing around. At the time being, it was almost six months since his mother had started seeing Ordin, and yet almos every date seemed to include Ian in some way or another. She was scared about dating, having spent most of her life with his father, his father dying, then spending it raising the mirror image of him as her son. Ian looked up to the woman with all his heart. His mother was one of the best ladies around for any job, being a commander in the Esthar army, raising a kid to feel loved no matter what, and still finding time for herself. Even the weekends alone together were heaven, just as mother and son, and no Ordin around. 

Ian reread an article on the present most durable whip that was ever made, the Save the Queen. He knew Quistis had one, and sometimes she even allowed him to mess around with it, in target practice in the Esthar training center, such as now that it rested in his room. His scores were off the chart, and each time he could, and was allowed, to relieve some stress with it he would. Somehow slashing apart different manaphobes of holographs seemed to help him. Sometimes he would catch his mother prancing along in there, and each time he would be amazed as her strengths and agility. He wondered how her scores would be if she dared keep a record. 

"Ian?" Quistis' sweet voice murmered, chewing on her own third slice. 

"Mom?" He answered back, his mouth full. Cringing, he swallowed and took a gulp from his soda before apologizing. 

"You look tired hon." She smiled warmly. "You wanna head back now?" 

Reaching for his forth slice, Ian shrugged. "Nah. I'm cool. Thanks for pitching in for the Feed Ian Trepe Fund Ordin." 

"Anytime." The older gentleman whispered, watching Ian. He was amazed at the size of him, towering in at six foot even at least, and his muscular build was far more enhanced than any child his age of seventeen. The long, lean muscles of a swimmer encased his body, but a bit more of a muscular build then any one who swam in any waters. Sometimes he pondered on whether or not speaking to the youth about joining one of the Gardens in the district, possibly Balamb, or Galbadia. Trabia wouldn't have much youth for the boy, simply booksmart him and send him on his merry way. Shaking his head, Ordin Samatone sighed, and plucked one of the last slices of the pizza before Ian could devour it. No matter how much the boy ate, it was positive that he indeed got his metabolism from his mother. His strange eating habits (pepperoni pizza and ranch sauce?) definetely had to come elsewhere. 

"You know son," The gentleman mumbled, plucking a slice of pepperoni from his slice. "Have you ever thought of joining the Esthar Army? They sure could use anyone who's from Quistis Trepe's line of the gene pool." 

Ian looked up from his devouring and shrugged. "I dunno." he mumbled. "Maybe sometime in the future I'll join some sort of clan and get a sex change. Just to make mom's life a bit more easier." He gave a wink towards a playfully scowling Quistis, and she reached over to slap his hand gently. "Hey Mom! You know you'd like to call me Ianna, just once." 

"Ian..." She hissed, flashing him a playful grin. "Hush yourself." Turning her attention back to Ordin, she picked up her glass and took a sip. "Ordin, do you know what day it is?" 

Ordin looked up at his watch and pressed a tiny button on the side of the face. "Yes, it's the ahh... Fifteenth of Friday." 

Quistis choked into her soda glass, her eyes growing wide. Setting her glass down, she began to cough as some of the cool liquid stung her throat, as she gripped her neck with one elegant hand. Ordin began asking her if she was alright, and Ian cried out "Mom?!" Before getting up and kneeling down next to her in the booth they all shared. Taking her hand in his own, Ian picked up her glass and held it to her lips as she took a sip, and coughed once more before letting out a groan and leaning back into her seat. 

"How embarassing.." Quistis grumbled, a frown covering her pretty features. "Sorry guys. I guess it went down the wrong pipe." 

Ordin nodded, leaning back into his seat. "Are you sure you're alright, sweetheart?" 

"Yes.. Yes I am." Quistis searched the restuarant until she found the waitress who was serving them. Holding a finger in the air, she called out "Check please!" Before anyone could stop her. "I'm sorry guys, but there.. There's a few things I have to do." She glanced at Ian. "Hon, we have our monthly getaway today, remember?" 

Ian nodded, his green eyes turning into emerald slits. "Yeah.. But we can leave tomorrow. It's no biggie." 

"We have to go tonight Ian. I've already made the reservations, and I couldn't possibly change them." The waitress came over and Quistis reached for the check until Ordin grasped her wrist gently and took the slip of paper himself, signing his name to the reciept and pulling out his wallet. Quiostis looked back at Ian and tried her best to remain settled, but he saw right through her facade. 

"Mom, why you freakin' out?" He asked, gulping down the remains of his drink. "If you really wanted the whole weekend, we can go next week." 

"Hon, I told you. I made reservations." Quistis stood up and retrieved her jacket from the booth, slipping her arms through the sleeves and buttoning it down her body. Ian nodded and stood up, holding his stomach with one hand and pulling his own jacket on, followed by Ordin. He tossed a few gil onto the table for a tip and stretched, gazing at two uneaten pieces left on the pizza pan. 

"Hey, anyone going to eat that?" He joked. 

Ian's green eyes glowed. "Oh, I'll do it." He replied sweetly, leaning down to take the remains of the ranch sauce and pouring it over the last two slices. With a look of pure delight on his face, Ian sandwiched them together and proceeded to pile them into his mouth, barely able to chew with out his lips parted. Once he had both pieces engulfed, he chewed a few times, poured the rest of the pitcher of soda into his glass and washed down the remains of their dinner. 

Grunting, Ian pounded his chest and let out an extremely loud belch, which caused half of the restuarant to thrun their gazes towards him. Ian looked towards Ordin and his mother, and later laughed and compared the color of their faces to that of a sunburned child. 

******************************************* 

Ordin kissed Quistis goodnight after Ian had gone right up to his room to relax. Tonight, his lips lingered just a bit longer then usual, and he enjoyed the overwhelming response she gave, leaning into his body for comfort and wrapping her arms around his neck. yet when his hands began to roam, she pulled away abruptly, a slow murmer of "No.." escaping her lips. Ordin frowned and brought her chin upwards with the crook of his thumb, catching her deep blue pools with his soft hazel ones. 

"Did I do something wrong?" He whispered, searching her face. Light winds caught his aurburn hair and tangled the strands into one another, entwining into a tiny rope. 

"No." Quistis said, looking away. "It's not you.." 

"Quistis," he murmered, taking her hands in his own. "I really do enjoy being with you. It's been about half a year since we've begun seeing eachother. I celebrated your son's seventeenth with you guys, remember?" 

A smile appeared on her lips. "How can I forget? That is the last time I let you pick out a cake with Ian." 

"Hey hey, it's not my fault! He said you wouldn't mind." 

She closed her eyes into sapphire slits. "Oh yes, I'd love to get my kid a nudie cake. Where on earth did you find something like that anyways?!" 

Ordin smirked, and tapped a finger on the tip of her nose. "That's his and I's little secret. Let's just say he and I are going back for his eighteenth." A chuckled escaped his throat on the look of her face. "I'm kidding hon. I'm kidding. Well mostly." 

Quistis sighed and nodded, leaning up to kiss Ordin's lips gently. "Men. All of you are exactly alike." 

"Of course. It's in our genes." Ordin became serious now, putting Quistis at Arm's length. "Quistis, there's something I wanted to speak to you about. Ian's physique is very masterful for a kid his age. And I've seen him with your whip in the training center in the palace. Have you ever thought of enrolling him in Balamb Garden? Or Galbadia?" 

Quistis paled, unsure of how to react. "I..." 

"He'd be a wonderful asset to both of them. Trabia, I doubt it. He's been schooled by the best in all of Esthar, which is why he probably graduated early. And his skills could prove useful, much more useful than simply doing chores and errands around Esthar, and teaching some of the kids some self defence." Ordin looked down at her face. "Quistis, are you feeling alright? You're lookin' mighty pale there, lil' lady." 

A sullen rage seemed to take over for her as soon as the color in her face returned. "Don't." She growled. "Don't even tell me how to raise my kid. Don't you DARE." 

"Hey, I was only trying to give you some advice." Ordin said, pulling away from her and letting his hands free. "I didn't know you felt so strongly. Well I should have but that's beside the point." 

Quistis shook her head. "No. It's not that. It's just.. Damn it. Nevermind." 

"Did I say something wrong?" 

"Yes! Of course you did!" Quistis nearly shouted, trying to keep ehr voice low. She balled her fists at her side and shook her head. "I don't want to hear anything else about Ian going to any Garden. Ever." She turned towards the door, and fished her keys out of her pockets, fitting one into the keyhole and turning it to loosen the lock. Just as she opened the door, she whispered "Goodnight" until Ordin gripped her arm gently, and brought her to face him. 

Raising a hand to her cheek, he trailed a finger down to her jawline, and rested hs palm on her neck. "Quistis.. " he murmered. "Would it be alright if.. I...?" 

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "Not tonight, Ordin.. Not tonight." 

With a grim smile Ordin nodded, and kissed her gently on her cheek, bidding her farewell until their next date. Quistis opened her door and stepped inside, breathing a sigh and shutting it behind her. Her back to the door, Quistis gazed at the ground as her mind ran fast and furious, before she stepped wearily to her room and wondered how the hell she ans Ian were going to pull one extravagant disappearing act that night. 

Deciding that as long as she and Ian slept, then five in the morning she and her son would take off towards the Dollet, see Nida, stay with him for a while, and return once Squall Leonhart had left the Presidential palace. 

**************************************************** 

Ian couldn't sleep on a very full stomach. 

Not that he didn't try. Tossing and turning all night until the contents of his belly finally subsided in making him feel too full was no picnic either. Each time they went to his favorite restuarant he promised himself he wouldn't have such a strange combination ever again in his life, but each time he failed. It was if the spicy and tangy dip of the ranch was calling out to him, begging him to be devoured as he dipped each succulant slice into it's creamy core. Such a strange combination. 

Why did it have to be so damned delicious? 

Pulling himself out of his bed, Ian searched around his room for the one solitary object he didn't want to be without when attempting to entwine in a battle of wits and agility against a horde of holographic Imps and weak T-rexuars. Finding a decent pair of sweat pants that fitted firmly to his hips and legs, he pulled them on quickly, tucking his tank top into his boxers in the process. Whistling a song he had once heard his mother sing and it decided to stick itself into his breain, he grabbed a button up flannel and shoved his arms through the sleeved before buttoning it halfway upwards. With wehat he learned from his mother, he knew to always wear firm fitting clothing before handling a whip. Must be mobile, but able to move. With that in mind, ian reached unde rhis bed to grab his calf length boots and saw a gleaming object, hanging slightly out of it's box. The sight of it made him smile. 

Save the Queen. 

Come to me, my pretty." Ian cackled, reaching forward to grip his boots in one hand and the whip in the other. Placing it on his bed, he yanked up his boots and tucked his pants inside, zipping the boots to closure and tightening the belt loops. Grabbing the whip in one hand, he whistled still as he stepped carefully out of his room past his mother's door. Leaning an ear against the door, he heard silence and concluded that she was fast asleep. Good. She won't catch him while he was sneaking out and probably ground him for next to eternity for not bringing back Save the Queen yet. He couldn't help it. Sometimes when he couldn't sleep he'd gaze into the pretty Energy crystals in a dim light and watch in awe as the energy inside of them glistened beautifully. He could junction sleep inside of the whip and smile as the balls of light inside lulled him into a deep slumber, or junction lightening and watch as little bolts of light trailed inside, flashing over and over. It was beautiful. 

Practically skipping towards the training center, he lightly punched in his code and recording staus, and leaned back to let the computer access his file. The tell all beep of confirmation rang, and the door slid open, letting him inside. He deeply enjoyed the advanced Artificial Intelligance of the Esthar system, and smiled as he repeated the name of it inside his head. Esthar Plains Advanced Ligamite Intelligance, but mostly was called E.P.A.L.I. He snickered to himself. Odine was useful afterall. He made the machinary so realistic when you were cut by a hologram, you were cut. 

"Epali!!" Ian shouted. "Try something new with me, will ya?" 

**"Action confirmed. Designate specific tally."** The computer rang out. Ian smirked and planted his fists on his hips. 

"Give me a choice, why don't you?" He called out, snapping the whip into place. Epali whirred to life once more before responding. 

**"Designate Standards. Choice A. Deep Sea research center, followed by Ultima Weapon. Vitality: Half Max. Spirit: Max. Energy: 160,0000**

Ian shook his head. "Nah, give me something a bit easier, won'tcha Epali? Unless you really wanna kill me." 

**"Designate Standards. Choice B. Sorceress Parade. Untouched. First battle with one Sorceress Knight. Vitality: One Third Max. Spirit: Max. Energy: 17,000. Choice B2. Secondary battle Sorceress Edea Kramer. Vitality: Three Fourth Max. Spirit: Max. Energy: 50,000. **

"Yeah.." Ian muttered, cracking Save the Queen against the ground for good measure. "Give me Choice B, but not Choice B2. Think you can do that Epali?" 

**"Affirmative."**

"Alrighty." Ian grinned, snapping into his fighting stance. "Let's rock Epali!" 

A loud whirring and suddenly the environment changed right from under Ian's feet. His ears filled with the screams and shouts of a fear ravaged crowd, screaming for glory and indulgance. Looking around, Ian caught site of a fear endowed woman in a sleek black dress, with something that resembled the sun attached to her back. Grunting, Ian ran towards the front of the float she stood gracefully upon, and watched her back away, holding out a sleek finger towards Ian and gasping out a commant, her peacock eyes slitting angrily. A flash of white leather and flaxen hair and the Knight appeared, ready to duel battle while flashing an equisite Gunblade Ian instantly recognized as an older model, a rare one called Hyperion. 

He snidely remarked towards Ian, pointing the tip of the blade at the youth. "You ready?" He growled, and flailed himself into a fighting stance. 

Ian tossed back his long hair and smirked. "As ready as I'll ever be, Lapdog." 

The hologram's face snarled in disgust. "NO body calls me lap dog!" He screamed, and rushed towards Ian and attempted a slash. Ian dodged it almost instantly, and snickered in reply as the young man, seemingly his age slashed upwards, narrowly missing him by a hair. 

"Whoa there big boy!" Ian called out. "It's just a game." 

"This ain't a game, Chicken-Wuss." The Knight growled, bringing the handle of his blade across Ian's back. Ian groaned in pain as he felt the ground rush upwards to greet him in a smash. "I'll destroy ALL of you!" 

Bringing the blade above his head, the Knight slammed it towards the ground an instant before Ian rolled out of the way. Growling, the knights emerald eyes searched the float, and caught sight of the youth scrambling upwards towards the top of the float, gripping anything to scramble himself away. Turning around, Ian cracked Save the Queen infront of the Knight, causing him temperary blindness. He howled loudly, screaming out obscenity after obscenity as he rubbed the darkness out of his eyes and Ian took cover, waiting for the right moment to strike. 

"You son of a bitch!" The Knight screamed, squinting his emerald eyes open. "I'll get you for that!" 

"Not as bad as my mother's gonna get you for calling her a bitch." Ian snickered, cracking Save the Queen against the hard floor. "Scan!" he shouted, and noted that the Knight's energy was down by five thousand. "Good..' he murmered. "I can finish this - OOMPH!!" 

The knight screamed at him, and slashed him across his chest. Blood stained his shirt, and Ian screamed, stumbling backwards onto his backside and gripping his chest in pain. A haughty laughter from the Knight, and Ian looked upwards to see him stepping towards him, clanking Hyperion on the ground every other second, a sinister looked glazing his face. 

"I'm gonna enjoy this, Chicken Wuss." He grinned, lifting Hyperion in the air. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that whips are for girls?" 

With that he brought Hyperion down in a slash, the blade just inchs from Ian's screaming face. 

"TRIPLE ULTIMA!" An unfamiliar voice sounded, and the Knight screamed, arching his back and dropping the gunblade ontop of Ian. The tip pierced his skin slightly, causing a stream of crimson to dribble down his forarm into the ground, as a bright green sphere engulfed the Knight once, twice, than a final third time before he fell, defeated. A voice shouted a stopping command to Epali, and the environment, the screams and shouts of the festival of the Sorceress ceased to be, once again returning to the former state of the training center. Squinting, Ian tried to make out the form that loped over to him, and kneeled down, whispering something along the lines of "Curaga." His skin knitted together, forming into solid flesh once more, as if it was never harmed. 

A gloved hand thrust itself down towards him, and Ian graciously took it into his own, allowing the man to pull him to his feet. Opening his eyes, he gapsed when he realized that this was not anyone he knew personally. The man was somewhat short, around four inchs under Ian himself, and with a thin build, punk like cut hair that seemed to have a style that seemed to have been created only for him. The colour was a deep brown, but once upon a time, Ian figured it was much deeper. Yet what scared Ian most where his eyes. They seemed to dance with blue flames of passion and excitement, no matter how calm the man seemed to me. 

Which at that moment wasn't very calm. "Just what the hell were you doing?!" He shouted, 

Ian reached down to coil Save the Queen, and hook it to his belt. "I.. I mean..I was just.." 

"Are you crazy?! You never fight Almasy with out being junctioned with Bio as your status attack.. Ugh.." The older man turned away, and gripped his forhead in what seemed to be an upcoming headache. "Just..Just who the hell are you anyways?" 

Ian gulped and searched around for means of escape, and felt downcast when he found none. "I..I'm Ian. Ian Renzuka-" 

"Fine. I'm Squall Leonhart. President Loire's son. You and I are going to go straight to the presiden't quarters and discuss this." Squall's eyebrows furrowed together as he eye'd the younger man. "Aside from your complete total lack of smarts in this issue.. You're pretty good." He murmered. His face seemed to trance back in time to another person with the same talents. "Let's go. You, my father and I have quite a bit to discuss." 

Ian grumbled as he followed Squall out of the training room. 

Now, he was seriously regretting that pizza. 

**********************************  
I know some people are wondering "What? Quistis' kid? But didn't the baby die?"   
In the end of DOTS (Day of the strong) Quistis found out she was pregnant again.   
If anyone has any questions, ask them in a nice review :) I shall answer them next post!


	3. Dirt.

Dirt. 

****** 

Laguna slapped his knee, and felt nothing under his stinging palm. For a long, long time he felt the 'phantom pains' that were a side effect that accompanied most amputee's, and he was no exception. Sometimes, late at night when he was just barely asleep, he always swore that his leg was cramping up, right then and there, keeping him awake for another half hour until the pains stopped. Yet he always went to sleep on time now, and always breathed a sigh of relief that cancer didn't take his life away. He had Taelon to watch grow up, and his son to spend the rest of his life with if he ever became too feeble to live alone anymore. Fondly he thought back to his two best friends in the world, the two that meant the most to him, beside his son and Ellone, and the only two men Laguna trusted with the secret of Quistis and Ian Trepe. 

Kiros had long since retired, spending his days resting peacefully in his fully paid house just on the outskirts of Esthar, where shopping malls and safe streets were, and every once in a while he and his son Saigon would come and visit. Saigon was a spitting image of his late mother Mirah, who died in a misplaced crossfire between two gangs in Deling while vacationing there with family. The news hit Kiros, hard, that he asked for an early retirement a week after the funeral. There were times when baby Saigon had stead a weekend or two with his 'Unca Guna' because Kiros didn't want the child to see him cry, and Laguna was more than happy to take him off his hands. Yet now, Saigon had joined Galbadia Garden, and was prone to a visit sometime with his father, and a smile crossed the President's lips as he eagerly awaited their presense, and eagerly awaited Saigon's tales of being in Galbadia to allow him to walk down memory lane. 

Ward, on the other hand, had become a high ranking General of the high municipal Galbadian Army. His long time girlfriend Jurisma just bore their second child, a beautiful girl they named Anjolie Jesabeliv, or Angie for short. She was born with a heart murmer that had steadily gotten worse, until Laguna scoured the country searching for a doctor, any doctor, that could help her. Finally, he found what he was looking for in Doctor Byron Tribal, and flew him and the staff he preferred to Esthar at his own expense to operate on the young girl. Right now, Angie still needed medication at her young age, but it was all happily given by grateful parents who never let up on thanking Laguna for his efforts. Their oldest daughter, Juna, had passed away from a rare disease that not even the great realms of Esthar had a cure for at the time. It had taken long, hard years for them to recover enough to try for Angie, and Laguna tried helping them anyway he could. 

Once more Laguna slapped his knee, and felt nothing. The prothetic leg was better than his old one, no cramping, no breaking due to the fact it was made mostly up of false flesh and stainless steal, and did exactly what he wanted it to. Except it had no feeling, and when the phantom pains begged with an itch to be scratched, he could do nothing but ignore it until it finally subsided, like now. He never removed his falt leg, he had grown so accustomed to it, and barely walked with out a limp any more when wearing it. It was made to look so life like and realistic, down to the sparse hairs that grew upon his toes that it seemed as if he never had cancer at all. 

Rolling onto his side, Laguna rested his head on his pillow and shut his eyes, preparing for a long night's rest. 

Until a rampant banging on his door shocked him awake. 

"Urg... Come in, come in.." Laguna grumbled, pulling himself into an upright position. Planting his feet on the ground, he wrapped a blanket around his boxer clad form and reached for his robe. 

"Father." Squall muttered, opening the door to Laguna's room slowly, and reaching the light swith to his left. "I found this guy in the trianing center." He jammed a thumb towards a sheepish looking Ian. "He says he lives here?" 

Laguna opened his eyes just a slit, and recognizing the scene with both Ian and Squall, snapped awake suddenly. "Ahh.. Yes Squall. Ian does live here." Pulling his strong arms through the sleeves of his robe, Laguna carefully stood up, grunting slightly and holding up a hand when Squall stepped forwards to offer help. "Never mind me Squall. Head down to the dining nook and let me speak with the young man here first, for violating his curfew." 

A frown passed Squall's features, initiating that he knew something just wasn't right, but he nodded, and left the room, leaving Ian and Laguna alone. Looking up at the young man, Laguna noted his figiting, and how he shifted his weight from one foot to another. A grim smile passed Laguna's lips before he spoke. "Something wrong Ian?" 

"Yeah." Ian whispered, his eyes darting around the room. "Was that dude really your kid?" 

"Yes..Yes." Laguna muttered, standing up. he turned his back to the younger man and tied his robe securely across his waist. "Squall's my son. I told you I had a son, didn't I?" 

"Yeah. You did. Why's he so anal man?" Ian cringed at his word wording, and coughed, clearing his throat. "Sorry. Didn't mean that." 

Laguna surprised him by turning around to face him, and smiled. "Yeah. That's Squall for you. He's a workaholic SeeD, Commander of Balamb Garden since he was seventeen. I guess the reason he's so 'anal' is because I wasn't there for him when he was growing up. Raised in an orphanage until he was old enough to join Garden. Now that I have the chance to be in his life, and was lucky enough to find him again..." He trailed off. "He was friends with your father too." Laguna paused in his talking, and gave Ian a hard stare. "Quistis talks to you about your father, right?" Ian shrugged, and sat down on the couch Laguna held in his room. "Sorta. not much anymore. Never really mattered to me anyhow. Sometimes I wish she'd show me a picture or something, but I don't wanna get her crying again." he turned his gaze towards the mirror next to the sofa and sighed. "I look too much like 

Mom anyways. Don't think I'll ever know what he really looks like." 

Laguna nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe. "Well.. I've got a photo album out in the China set in the dining nook. I know your mom's snoring away right now, so even if the pictures are a bit tearstained, I know I've got a few of Seifer and your mother. I promise to show you, okay?" 

Ian's face brightened with a smile. "Thanks Uncle Laguna. It just bites that I don't even know his last name. I don't wanna hurt mom or anythng, but I mean.. his last name. Ya know?" He looked away, somehow feeling ashamed. "It's not much." 

Laguna stepped past him, towards his door, and leaned down, and placed a strong palm on the young man's shoulder. With a glint in his eye and a smile on his lips, Laguna whispered "Almasy." Gripping the doorknob, he opened the door to his room and stepped out into the halls, waiting for Ian to follow. 

"Almasy.." Ian rolled the name off his tongue and smiled. Finally he had a name. But where the hell had he heard it before...? 

Didn't Laguna's weird son say it? 

Nah. 

Ian stood up and followed Laguna's steps, but was stoppe dsuddenly by the older man. "Ian." he whispered urgently. "Did you tell Squall your name?" 

"I tried to Uncle Laguna. But he stopped me right before I said Trepe." 

Relief seemed to flood over Laguna's features, and he nodded. "Don't ask why, Ian. Just don't. But whatever you do, do not, and I repeat, do NOT tell him who your mother is, or that your last name is Trepe." 

Before Ian could question why, Laguna trailed down the hallway, casting a glance back to him before disappearing around the corner. Ian shook himself slightly more awake and followed. 

********************************************* 

Squall pulled out the perculator, and set it on high. Coffee in a morning like this? Was it even morning? He glanced towards the clock that held itself over the stove, and read two thirty. Two in the Hyne forbid morning? What was that kid doing up anyways? Sure, fighting in the Training Center of this remarkable palace was a sure fire way to relieve some stress. As a matter of fact he was heading there himself to sharpen his skills, the Garden's training center becoming dull, and full of trite. No matter how many times he would set his levels lower, cast Blind and Confuse, and sometimes even Bio he always seemed to hit right on the mark, as he cast Esuna just in time to see the dying remains of a grat, or even a T-rexuar, fall and fade from sight. 

Watching as the last drop finally fell, Squall gripped the handle of the pot and poured a large dose into his own cup, then into his father's signature mug, then he paused before reaching upwards in the cubbard for a third and final cup. Thank Hyne Sis is asleep, he thought while pouring the remaining coffee, would hate to let her see me freak out like that. That kid looked so familiar to him somehow, and in a way he felt like he knew him from somewhere, or from someone, but he just couldn't place his face. His skills matched those of his old Sissy Trepe, Quistis, but no one had seen her in years. He'd never admit, or deny that he missed her greatly, and the tears he hid at his own wedding were in mourning over her absense, as long as they mixed with his happiness as well, then no one would suspect a thing. Rinoa's feeling mixed with his own, and he pretended not to notice her glancing towards the door of the elegant church in hopes of seeing her enter. 

Footsteps padding in the tinted glass hallway marked the arrival of the two other men, Squall noted. Leaning down underneath the sink, he pulled out a large tray and began arranging sugars and creames in a precise order with their accompanying spoons. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Laguna sit down on one end of the table, and Ian next to him, looking somewhat scared each time he gave a glance towards Squall, who was refilling the perculator once more. Cocking an eyebrow, Squall lifted the tray upwards with both hands and walked towards the table, setting it down infront of the two men before sitting down himself. 

"Well." Squall muttered, picking up a spoonful of cream and dropping it into a cup before plucking the mug from the tray. "I didn't know you had company Father." 

A soft chuckle escaped Laguna's throat, and he reached over to grasp his mug. "Squall, this is Ian-" 

"Ian Renzuka. Yeah, I know. He introduced himself." Squall gave Ian a look. "Nice to meet you." 

"Uh... Yeah. Ditto." Ian murmered, staring at the remaining cup. An awkward silence passed before Squall grunted and picked up the cup, setting it down infront of the younger man. 

"My father and I aren't going to share another cup, Ian." Squall grumbled. "Stop looking like a scared Torama already." 

Ian snapped his face upwards and blinked. "Oh. Right." he mumbled, picking up a spoonful of the sugar and dropping it into his cup. "Sorry." 

"It's alright. Sorry i snapped at you earlier. I was just sort of surprised when I saw you. My father didn't mention there were others living here. Neither did Sis." Squall sipped from his cup, eyeing Ian over the rim. "Where are you from? 

Ian blinked. "I.." 

"Balamb." Laguna interrupted. "He's from Balamb. He'll be living with me for a while, until he gets a few private issues sorted out." Laguna glared at Ian over the rim of his own mug, urging him to agree and Ian nodded quickly. 

"Whatever." Squall mumbled. "I saw your stats in the training room. You ever think about joining Balamb Garden? Over the years fewer and fewer people have met the standards it takes to attend there, but you seem to have a lotta skill. What's your magic status?" 

Ian blinked. "Uhm.. Magic?" 

"Yeah. You've never Drawn?" 

"...No." 

Squall rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair, a smile of awe on his face. "You mean, with all your status points, your high rank in the training center, you've done it all with out junctioning a damned thing?" 

"I guess so." Ian grumbled, reaching to rub the back of his neck. Hairs were standing up in their roots, a bad sign. "Why?" 

"It's just.. Damn. That's a lot of talent. I'm shocked to Garden scouts have been searching for you. Also that I've never heard of you." He took another, calmer sip from his cup. "That itself is strange." 

Ian looked away. Balamb Garden? Of course he'd heard about it. That, and Galbadia, Trabia.. Yet he never once thought about joining, or even attending any of them. He was happy enough just staying here in Esthar, with his mother, Uncle Laguna and Aunt Ellone. But things around the beautiful place were getting somewhat dull. Variety is the spice of life, and he just used that spice up and was seeking more. "Balamb Garden.." He murmered, bringing his strang colored eyes back to Squall. "Tell me more." The slight upturn in Squall's eyebrow and Ian corrected himself. "Please." 

Squall smirked and set his mug down on the table, and watched as Laguna placed a coaster underneath it before continuing. "Balamb Garden is a school where we train SeeDs. SeeDs were once trained to fight evil Sorceresses, but lately Sorceresses have become somewhat extinct, but that can change anytime. Until then, to make money, we dispatch SeeDs for missions around the world to whomever pays for them. In return, we pay for your housing and food, your training, and also pay you extra depending on your time away from Garden." He drank down the rest of his coffee and excused himself to retrieve the fresh pot he brewed. 

Ian nodded, and sipped from his almost full cup. He could fee Laguna's eyes on him, yet he dared not make the connection or let the older man know that he was actually considering leaving and joining Garden. The thought passed his mind briefly again before Squall returned, setting the pot on the table infront of the two men. Reaching into his pocket, Squall pulled out a small plastic card and handed it to Ian. "If you're interested, contact me. I go back home tomorrow.."He checked the clock on the wall and frowned. "Well.. Today." 

"Yeah.." Ian nodded. "I just might. But.. what about time off? Incase my mother needs me?" 

Squall shrugged. "Make up the work when you get back. We teach the use of Guardian forces and magic as well. Go at your own pace too. It's hard work, but it's worth it. 

Ian looked up at Squall and nodded, a slight smile tracing his features. "Yeah. I might give you a call." 

With a nod, Squall stood up and stretched his arms over his head, and covered his mouth in a yawn. "Well, since I'm only gonna get around four hours of sleep, I might as well make the best of them. Ian, I'll talk to you soon. Good night father." He held out a hand towards the younger man and Ian graciously accepted the outstretched palm, shaking it vigorously. After Squall left, Laguna's smile fell from his face and he turned his attention to the smiling man at his side. 

"Ian. For the love of your mother, do not call that number." He said, his voice low. "Do not call it. Ever. Just throw it away, and forget all about it." 

"What? Why?" Ian asked. "Your son isn't as anal as I thought. He's actually kinda cool, an' Balamb Garden seems kinda like a fresh new idea for me to-" 

"Just don't Ian." Laguna murmered, staring down into his cup. "I can't tell you why, but just don't. Pretend this never happened. No one but Quistis and I want to see you succeed, just not at Balamb Garden. Pick some where else, some other place but Garden. Your mother won't like it one bit." 

Ian groaned, leaning back in his seat. "Uncle Laguna, you don't understand. I'm seventeen years old now. I can lead my own life. I don't know why Mom doesn't like Balamb Garden, I mean, it's pretty much top of the league." A frown crossed his face. "And why can't Mr. Leonhart know my last name?" His unusual eyes widened. "If he knew my dad, then he knows Mom too?!" 

Laguna lifted his weary eyes at Ian, then dropped them again. "Yes, he does know Quistis, and yes, Squall knew Seifer well. But seriously, Ian, leave the ghosts of the past alone. Don't dig up the bones, let them lie. It's good dirt on top of bad, Ian. Good dirt on top of bad." 

"Hold it. What's mom's connection to Balamb Garden? And why are you so against it? Did she attend or something? Is that it? How come I never knew about it?" Ian stood up and pulled himself out of his chair, glancing around the room. "What's mom hiding, Uncle Laguna? Where's that photo album you said you had? At least show me my father's picture like you promised." 

Laguna narrowed his eyes in defeat and nodded slowly. "Alright. It's over there, in the china caninet behind the Dollet plates that Ellone loves so darned much." Laguna chuckled a little, and watched as Ian stood up and headed towards where Laguna's strong arm was pointing. Opening the glass door, Ian gingerly moved aside Ellone's prized china wear and plucked the leather binding book, liking the feel of the red leather underneath his fingers. He read across the top 'Memories..' and lifted it to show Laguna, who nodded and patted the place next to his seat. Plopping the heavy book down, Ian half wondered if rocks were a part of the book, considering it's massiv sive of six inchs thick. 

"Alright.. now let's see." Running his tongue over his thumb, Laguna thumbed through the pages of pictures, gazing intently over the first pages of pictures that were of him, Ward and Kiros during their happier times. Finally he stopped in the middle of the book and smiled, coming to the very last photo that consisted of him and came upon the segment of his son and his friends. "Ah, alright now.. Oh look, this is Squall when he was about nineteen. That's about two years after the Sorceress Edea war. Quistis ever tell you about that particular event?" 

Ian shrugged. "Some. Only bits and pieces, but..Hey why is he wearing those belts all funny?" 

Laguna chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I still have no idea. I figured it was just the style back then, and it was none of my business. Of course the fur on that jacket had to go. It looked too damned female, you know what I mean?" 

"Yep. Sure do.. Celeste used to wear a jacket exactly like the kind he's wearing." Ian murmered, slight disgust in his voice. 

"Well you don't gotta be worrying about Celeste anymore. Your mother took care of her right out. But onto another topic." Laguna mumbled, pointing to another picture of Squall and a petite young girl with dark eyes and thick, striaght dark brown hair. "This girl is Rinoa, she's Squall's wife right now. They met eachother during a mission, she asked for SeeD help. If I remember right, she was sixteen, and he had just turned seventeen, and was such a cold little jerk that it took her throwing him off a stage to finally make him realize she cared for him. They grew close after that, and now.." Laguna heaved a sigh, thinking back fondly with a smile perched on his lips. "Now they've given me a grandson, called him Taelon Leonhart. He's a bit younger then you, looks a lot like my Squall." 

"Who's that dog with her?" Ian asked, pointing to a photo of Rinoa kneeling down, setting a plate of food infront of a beautiful full bred collie. 

"Oh him? That's Angelo. Her dog, her partner in crime. She was devasted when he had to be put down a few years ago, but before he did he was breeded with another female collie. Rinny's got a new dog now, named Marco. And he's the precise clone of his father, I swear to it!" Laugna leaned back into his seat. "The last time I went to go see my son Marco pissed right in my boot while I was asleep. Can you believe the balls on that mutt? Funny thing is Angelo used to do it too, just to spite me." 

Ian snickered, and trailed his eyes towards another picture of a figure in a long coat and cowboy hat. His poney tail hung over one shoulder, and he had an arm wrapped around a young, very tiny waiflike female. "Whoa, who's Billy the Kid here?" he asked, pointing to the picture. "And the sprite girl next to him?" 

Laguna frowned and peered closer. "Oh him? That's Irvine Kinneas and Selphie Tilmitt. Irvine's the best sharpshooter on the face of any continent, and Selphie's magic with a pair Alternate Vision nunchachu. Quite a weird pair, aren't they?" 

"They sure look kinda weird. I mean, why doesn't that girl wear short sunder her skirt? Be modest ya know?" He trailed on, gazing at the picture a little while long. "Altho I do like his coat.. Hey who's this?" Ian pointed to another photo of a lovely young woman with long silvery hair and strange colored eyes, standing next to a huge burly black man. "She's one sexy dish alright." He whispered, grinning. 

"They, are Fujin and Raijin of Balamb Garden's Disciplinary Comittee. They used to be your father's only friends, until he sorta opened up. They were still close to him, by his side all the time. No matter what decision he made, they stood behind him every step of the way, along side your mother. They're good people, Ian." Laguna looked towards another photo, of a bright blonde haired young man with piercings in every corner of his face and a lightening tattoo down the side, standing next to a simple young lady, somewhat plain looking, with brown eyes and brown hair in a pigtail. Behind her stood a menacing looking woman with tattoos and piercings mimicking the young man's, and behind him stood s imple plump woman. "This is Zell and Amie Dincht. That woman is Lyric, her mother, and this pleasant looking lady is Zell's mom. Kinda look like they were switched from birth huh?" 

"Damn! You're right! Sheesh.. that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one. He's got nice pants on though.. Was that the style back then?" Ian asked, looking up at Laguna. He folded his arms on the table and and leaned down, becoming more comfortable with each passing moment. 

"Well.. for a T-boarding specialist yes. He's toned down a bit now, trust me, since the birth of Giselle and Collete. Their twin girls. Only way to tell them apart is Giselle's got brown eyes like her mom and Collete's got blue like her dad. Beautiful girls, those two had." he turned the page and let out a confirming sound, and pointed at a picture of a beautiful blonde woman, adorned in a strapless pale blue silk halter top that showed off her flat stomach, with a matching silk skirt. She was leaning against a banister, her eyes trailed off towards the setting sun. She was a vision of beauty, which Laguna highly admired. "This is your mother, right here. Now we're getting to the pictures of your family." 

"_That's_ Mom?!" Ian gasped, his different colored eyes widening. "Damn! I never knew her to be so...well.." 

"Pretty? Sexy? Take your pick Ian." Laguna chuckled, enjoying watching the younger man's face crinch up. "Back in her day your mother was hailed as one of the most beautiful ladies ever to set foot on land. She still is, actually." Flipping through the pages once more, he came upon a picture of a young blonde man with a scar across his face, standing next to Quistis. She was holding a bouquet of peach colored roses and had a sly grin across her face, with a slight scar mimicking the man at her side's to an almost perfect T. She herself was adorned in a violet velvet outfit, which she still had and once described as a 'war suit' while he was wearing a short sleeved black T-shirt and a pair of dark colored jeans. Their hands were tighed together with a dark burgundy sash, which Ian recognized as a unionsash, for those who got married. Both faces where smiling towards the camera with nervous grins, and a bright stone adorned Quistis's left hand. 

"Him. That's Seifer Almasy." He tapped the man's face, pushing the book closer to Ian to give a better view. "That's your father. He died a few nights after they were married. That's the most recent picture I have of him, I'm sorry.." 

Ian felt an ice like finger trail a freezing line down his spine, then tickle it's way back up to his neck, causing the hairs to stand on end. "I..I don't believe it.." 

"Is something the matter Ian?" Laguna asked, looking closer to the young man. "You can tell me if you want." 

"I..In the training room. I picked a program called Sorceress Knight. My father looks exactly like the guy I fought except he;s got long hair in this picture..and he looks older...Uncle Laguna, is that why my mom won't tell me much about the Sorceress Edea war? What's my father's connection?" He looked at Laguna with confusion mixed with fear in his eyes. "I mean.. What happened?" Ian took in a slight intake of air. "Oh no.. Squall DID say Almasy! My father couldn't have been...? 

Laguna closed the book shut and stood up, stretching his arms over his head the same style Squall did. "Take it from me Ian. Good dirt ontop of bad. Just forget all about what you just found out and remember one this. Your father died a good good man. Let's just leave it at that." 

"But..." 

"Good dirt on top of bad, Ian." Laguna growled. "Just. Leave. It. Today you go on your trip with your mother. Don't tell her anything we've shared, and don't tell her you met Squall. Don't ask questions. Just don't." 

With that, Laguna bid him a quiet good night, and left the room towards his bedroom, his mind a storm on what he had just revealed to the youth. He never thought that Ian could have issued a fight in the training center with his own father. At the time, Seifer's face was contorted with rage and hate, beyond an extent that would make him nearly unrecognizable compared to the man he become. His untimely death to finally bring peace to the woman he loved was beyond any sacrifice he could have made. Seifer Almasy died while trying to restore peace of mind to Quistis Trepe, and now, Laguna knew he had brought their son into the mixed web of deceit. Shamefaced, he fell into the bed and pulled his breath in, and tried for a peaceful sleep. When none came, he lifted a smooth palm outwards and cast it upon himself, watching with fear as dreams of ruin danced across his eyes. 

Ian sat perplexed, staring at the photo album. A surge of strange emotions fell upon him, and immediately he knew what he had to do. Whatever it was, Balamb Garden was the only place to find answers. Pulling out the plastic card Squall had given him, he nodded as if confirming himself, and stood up. It was only four in the morning now, Quistis would wake up within an hour. He only had one hour to pack damn near everything he owned, and plan his escape. 

******************************************************   
Eeeps! okay me explain: Ian has never seen a picture of Seifer before, so that's why he didn't recognize him. Whoo I hope this makes sense. And yeah, Laguna survived his cancer. Just had to have the leg amputated. Maybe Squall would see Seife rin him, or Quistis, but since it's been a long long time, and he figures Seifer dead, how could that be, sort of? :D   
I guess ther'es only one thing to beg, and that's PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I'm gonna take my time on this story, make the chapters reasonably long even if it's not very good, cause I like nice long chapters. Thank you all for staying with me on this, and your wonderful support. :) I wouldn't be writing if no one enjoyed what I wrote, and I thank you all for your incredible reviews :) But I'd really like more :D hehe :) 


	4. Youngju Kim

Youngju Kim 

************* 

His fingers trailed across the bar, wiping it down hard with the rag. Out of the corner of his eye, Nida Wilson saw his part time waitress lean down to pick up a broken plate off the floor. He liked the girl, he really did. She was a beauty, around five foot six with long, red and gold streaked black hair. A petite one, but such a cold cold additude, she reminded him as the female version of his old friend Squall Leonhart, with her constant 'Whatever's' and rare smile. As much as he adored her working for him, he knew what to ask and not ask. She wasn't an easy book to read, but sometimes, just barely she'd crack a page open and let him glimpse at a word inside.Youngju Kim, her name said. He liked her enough, she was addicting like a friend. You could have this young one for a friend, but you as her friend? That was a story all together new. 

Youngju felt eyes on her, and she narrowed her own before turning around to face the own and bartender of Sweet Viper's Touch. "Can I ask what you're lookin' at Nida?" 

Nida shook his head, a polite smile on his features. "You know who should be comin' in today, right Youngju?" 

Youngju looked away, slightly confused before setting her tray on a table and pulling out a rag. "No. Who?" 

Nida tossed the rag he was using in the sink and leaned against the bar, staring at the frosted glasses he had just laid on the bar. "Quistis Trepe. She's coming over with Ian. How long has it been since you've seen the boy anyways? I havent in almost ten years." 

Youngju's face softened a bit, her lips cracking into a smile. "Just a few weeks after he was born. I stayed with Quisty duting that time, showing her how to care for a baby and all that crap. I'll say this, I'm not a people person, but she was one of the few who could get me to open up a little." Youngju frowned a little, tart lines cutting into her lovely features. "We've kept in touch. Just haven't found enough time to see one another. It'll be great to see Ian, and how that boy's growing up with out a daddy." 

"Hey now." Nida chimed in, his voice cheery. "I've known Quistis Trepe since she was fifteen. The woman can handle just about anything. Whether it be tying a shoe to saving the world, she's always done it professionally, with regards to whomever follows her lead." 

"Yeah well.." Youngju muttered, gazing down at her half cleared table. "You ever meet Ordin Samatone? Her new beau?" 

"Nope." Nida whistled, holding a glass up to the light and peering through it. "Never have. Don't think I'll like him anyways." 

"Why do you say that?" Youngju glowered, tossing the broken plate into the trash. "If he makes her happy and all that shit." 

Nida sighed, setting a mug down upside down. "I liked her husband a lot more. I knew him since he joined Balamb Garden. Was always one hell of a troublemaker, and even was the reason for her having to save the world." 

"Hmph. If you liked him so much, why do you talk so horrdily about him?" 

He grinned. "Seifer was cool. It took a lot to get him to mellow out, even losing his memory at one time. But hey, when all the pieces fell into place and all was said and done, he sacrificed himself for her peace of mind." Nida sighed, leaning onto the bar. "Trust me. If a man loves a woman enough to take his own life and all those who hurt her, ever, enough down with him, he becomes aces in my book." 

Youngju gazed at Nida, with a look of confusion. "Did you say Seifer? As in Seifer Almasy?" 

"Yeah. The one and only." 

"The lapdog." She murmered, lifting her eyebrows regally. "The Sorceress Lapdog of Edea. Correct?" 

"Again, the one and only. He died a few days after they were married." Nida shook his head. "Doesn't matter anymore. Let's talk about something else, shall we?" 

They conversed in a conversation for a few precious moment,s with Nida doing most of the speaking. Every once in a while Youngju's thoughts drifted back towards the scared young woman, who refused t see any doctor for fear of records, and begged her, a seventeen year old living in Hell at the time for help. Fondly, she thought of young Ian, how she held the wailing child in her arms just seconds after he was born while his mother looked at her and begged for her to take a payment, any payment for her troubles. Youngju simply gazed into the child's strange yet beautiful eyes and touched his forhead, whispering "Renzuka.." 

She scuttled the woman off before her mother, a drunken bar whore could come home and see the horrid scene of blood and fluids that had ascened upon the kitchen floor. How long it took her to wipe the floor clean and keep the mother comfortable for as long as she needed to recover in her room had to be some what of record timing before the drunken bitch came stumbling through the door, waving a bottle of cheap booze. She had passed out in her room with out noticing the whimpering sounds of Quistis and the child she christianed Ian, and three weeks later after she had left, a large package full of gil notes arrived at her house, with a note written in pretty cursive "Thank you." 

Youngju had taken that money and left her drunken mother out in the cold. A month later she was back in court fighting for her rightful large inheritance that her deceased father had left when he passed on, against his new family of greedy children and a sulty young wife. Finally she had won her rightful share, and lived sensibly, not having the need to work because of the large sum of money she had accumilated, and spent most of her free time teaching herself the abilities of ninjitsu and nunchachus. At times, she even spent on her nunchachus a large some of cash, always upgrading to the best degree. Either way, her hard life pulled her deeper into her self seclusion. 

The one time she opened up, the one person she cared for had shared with her the joy of her son. For that, she would forever be grateful to scared young blond woman, the single mother who like her, also wanted nothing but peace. 

**************************************************** 

"Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there.. with open arms and open hands.." Ian belted out the tunes under his breath as he and Quistis walked along the streets of Dollet. She held his hand gripped tightly in her own, making sure he was right behind her at all times like the over protective mother she was. After they had checked into the hotel. Quistis babbled on about her friend in Dollet who had known her for a long time, and owned a popular bar in the city. All Ian heard was 'owned a bar' and he was all for it, letting her lead the way. The streets didn't seem too crowded, he noticed, with a few couples here and there, nurting eachother with love talks and a little girl chalking the sidewalk. A cop or two as well, Ian noted. Must not be the safest town afterall. In the disance he took note of some sort of defunt communications tower, and his confusion arose once more. If it was defunct, why would it still be standing? 

Pushing the matter out of his head, Ian smirked, adjusting the volume on his compact disk player. "Mom, are we there yet?" He whined in his best little boy voice. Quistis merely clicked her tongue and and pulled him further, until finally they found Sweet Viper's Touch. 

"Nida!" Quistis called into the empty bar. During the day time, especially at ten in the morning, the bar was used mostly as as a hang out for some tourists who wanted a quiet place to speak of their events, of what they had seen, and what they wished to see. Yet now, she noted, there were little remains of a bar fight from the night before that made her cringe. "Nida? Where are you?" 

"He isn't here...Quistis." A young woman's voice sounded from underneath the bar. A clanking of beer mugs being set up dinged in her ears. "Nida needed some napkins, so he's off to storage to retrieve them." 

"That..voice..?" Quistis murmered, releasing Ian's aching hand. He hissed and took it back, shoving it into the pockets of his baggy jeans. 

"Well, after years of speaking to one another, I see we've finally decided to pay a visit!" Youngju came up from the bar, a slight smirk on her face. "What, are you too busy to see an old friend like me? I'm hurt, woman!" 

"Kim..!" Quistis whispered breathlessly, her lips curving into an unavoidable grin. Stepping away from Ian, she ran towards the other woman and encased her in a strong arm. "Hyne, I never expected you to be here! How have you been? Where have you been? You haven't called in months." 

"Like you should talk!" Youngju disegaged from Quistis's grasps, and pushed her at arms length. She eyed the woman and shook her head slowly, clicking her tongue. "You're getting too damned skinny, Quistis. The hell is wrong with you? Don't you eat?" She looked over the young woman's shoulder and smirked, a pleasant curve in her lips. "Well, who's this young man? Don't tell me this is your new beau. Come on, he's young enough to be your son." 

"Oh hardy har har." Quistis said, turning to face her son. "Youngju, this is Ian Renzuka Trepe. Ian, this is Youngju Kim, the woman who delivered you into this world." 

Ian stepped closer, sheepishly holding out his hand. With a smile, Youngju accepted, as she looked the young man up and down. He indeed looked so much like his mother, and his father as well. A flash of Seifer Almasy from a picture Quistis had shown her so long ago and she concluded that indeed the boy did take more after his mother than his father. He had dashing good looks that where only accentuated by his handsome eyes, and the slight upturn of his lips and perfectly symetrical cheekbones. Pale blonde hair, much lighter in shades than his mothers framed his somewhat tan features, only heightened his looks by showing a line of white teeth whenever he grinned. Yes indeed, Quistis Trepe was raising one hell of a heart breaker of a son, but if he had any of his mother's common sense, he'd be one of the most cherished souls to ever grace the earth. 

"Hi.." He whispered, his voice deep and echoing in his throat. Holding out a hand, he shoved his other palm into his jeans and shifted his weight from foot to foot, showing discomfort. Probably nervousness. 

Youngju took his hand and smirked, shaking it lightly in her own. "Wondeful to see the fruit of your mother's labors, Ian. You're growing up wonderfully, 

He narrowed his eyes and cocked an eyebrow. "Nice to meet you too, Miss Kim." 

"You're a formal one." Youngju said, turning her gaze to Quistis. "You always raise your kid to be so damned polite? C'mon, Ian, sit down, call me Youngju. I've seen you naked as the day you were born, and calling me Miss Kim maked me feel old." 

"Okay... Youngju." Ian whispered, a slight grin growing on his features. Youngju ushered the pair to the bar, sitting them down and taking a couple of cups, filling them to the brim with a Shirly Temple with a cherry topping it for Ian and a ginger and black berry brandy for Quistis. All the time she chatted the pair up, speaking of their lives in complete detail, asking about Ian mostly, and how he was coping in life with a mother for a commander of one of the most powerful armies in the northern Continent. Each time he replied in a low, nervous voice as he downed his drinks in large gulps, with Youngju continuously refilling his glass. Chatting up a storm seemed tiring to him, since he wasn't one to talk much, and quickly he excused himself, standing up and drinking down the last of his drink and popping the cherry into his mouth. 

"Hate to break it short ladies," Iam murmered, chewing on the stem. "But I'm not feelin' too well. Mom, I'll see ya back at the hotel, okay? Nice meeting you Youngju." 

"Are you sure you're okay honey?" Quistis murmered, gazing up at him with concern. "You want me to go back with you?" 

"Nah, mom, I'm cool. Just a little jet lag from the train maybe. Huh, Jet lag from a train. Who'd have thunkit?" He flashed Quistis his trademark grin and asked her for their room key. 

Quistis plucked the key from her small purse and placed it in his palm. "Alright. Call me on the cell if you need me, okay?" 

"Sure 'nuff. Bye Mom, take care Youngju." 

"Take care of yourself." Youngju called to the retreading youth. "Great to see ya fully clothed, Ian!" 

Ian smirked, not letting the woman see the flush in his face. He stepped outside in the warming sun and stretched his weary body, checking his watch and calculating the time. Almost twelve noon, and stating that time he would have to grab his things from the hotel and leave the key with the bellhop when the train to Balamb would depart, he knew that if he didn't hurry he'd lose this chance in a life time. Taking off in a sprint, he ran down the street towards the hotel he and his mother were staying and nearly ran into a tall dark haired individual, who dropped the heavy cardboard boxes he was holding. 

"Hey!" he shouted. "Watch where you're goin' alright?" 

"Shit.. sorry man." Ian murmered, kneeling down to help the man retrieve his things. "Sorry. I didn't see you." 

The dark haired man grinned, unusually cheery. "S'okay. I'm used to it. Just becareful next time okay?" 

"Yeah, you got it." Ian grinned, and took off running again. The man carried his parcels towards Sweet Viper's touch and set them down on the table. Wiping the sweat from his eyes, he beamed at the chattering blond who sat on a stool. Planting his hands on his hips, he smirked and called out to her, his voice strict yet cheerful. 

"Well well well if it isn't Quistis Trepe!" He said, shaking his head slightly. "Little miss I'm too good to say hello?" 

"Nida!" Quistis shrieked, standing up and running towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek, letting him spin her around in a tight bear hug. "Oh Hyne how've you been?" 

Nida shook his head, smiling happily. "Oh just fine. I wondrer if any of my glasses arebroken. Some kid ran into me while I was coming. Don't know why he didn't see me. Must be blind with out his glasses, eh Quisty?" 

"Oh stop." Quistis murmered. "Now come on, let's sit down. Talk. Ian's at the hotel now, so maybe we can talk about things you're not supposed to talk about infront of children." 

Nida and Youngju both burst out in a low laugh before sitting down on a table, drinking slowly and speaking of their days. 

********************************************************** 

Ian pulled his suitcase over his shoulder, and boarded the train. It would be about now his mother would be arriving at the hotel, and wondering where he was. He hated causing her fear like this, but he had to know. Sitting down, he dropped his luggage in next to him and paid the ticket man, giving him a hefty tip as well for his troubles. Beside him was a woman, a bit older than his mother with dark black hair streaked with bright gray and thick glasses. She gave him a polite smile and held out her hand, waiting for him to shake it. 

"Well." She murmered. "I guess we're gonna be buddies until we reach Balamb. Right?" 

Ian nodded. "Yeah.." 

"Well, what's your name son?" She asked, giving him a look over the rim of her glasses, pulling out a cigarette. 

"Ian." He muttered, smiling slightly. "Ian-" He stopped. "Ian Renzuka. What about you?" 

"The name's Pickselle Trest. Nice to be your seat buddy. 

Handing him a cigarette, Pickselle lit it with a small flame from the tip of her fingertip, then shot a flame at the end of his. The rest of the trip they rode in silence, with neither one speaking until the horn of the train blew, marking their arrival. 

*****************************************************************************************************  
A/N: I want reviews. Lots and lots of reviews :D Looking at my statistics, I see something completely cool. I'm just a few (ahem a LOT) away from 1,000 reviews in total, and it's all thanks to you wonderful readers who kept me going. Now, I wanna give something back.   
I have a proposition, and remember, please include your e-mail so I can notify ya if you win. The person who gives me the 1,000th review, I will rewards them (or punish them?) with a fic of their choice! Yes sir ree, I will write them a one shot of ANY type of fic they want.  
They want themselves to be in a lemon with Seifer/Quistis/Laguna/Squall/Selphie/Irvine/Zell/Rinoa/Ellone/NORG/a moomba, I'll do it!   
You want me to kill someone off? I'll do it!   
You want me to write a humor fic about said people above? I'll do it!   
You want a touching lemon, a hot raunchy sexcapade lemon or a funky horror I shall DO IT!   
Anything! Just be reviewer number 1000th! Don't waste time! Anyone you want I'll putcha in it! Or no one at all that's fine as well! 

Waste no time!! Review today!! (hell review right now!) 


	5. Water.

Water. 

********* 

Water. All this place seemed to have was water, and this easn't exactly what he pictured Balamb Garden to be. 

How many fountains should a school have? 

Yet the air was crisp, the school clean, and the people reasonably nice as well, even if their glances at him and polite hello's were somewhat disconcerting. They were a bit weird, but he couldn't complain about the looks most of the females were handing out to him. Looks of awe, and a few gazes of some sort of appreciation was one major ego kick. No complaints in this department, considering most of them were really cute in their short skirts and smiling, fresh faces. A feast for a playboy, he smiled at his own joke. Shame he wouldn't have any time for them. Reaching into his pocket, Ian pulled out a small plastic card and read the name of Squall Leonhart loudly in his head, memorizing it. Talk to Squall. Talk to Laguna's son. He'll know what to do. 

"Well Miss Trest. Thanks for the company over." Ian murmered, winking at an especially cute girl that walked by. 

"Anytime kid. I'll see ya around Ian. I'm just here visiting the Kramers anyway. See how they're holding up. Also, I'll be takin' a few SeeD's on their field missions." She took one last drag off her cigarette before flicking it into a nearby trashcan. "They're good people, the Kramers. If you ever need any help in this damned place you talk to them, they'll set ya straight." 

"Yeah. Thanks. See ya around." With that, he slung his shoulder bag over his shoulder and blew his hair from his eyes. Pickselle gave him a nod and left him alone infront of the huge hallway, as he made his way towards a large elevator, catching the eyes of many females along the way, and the stares of clean cut males. It was in those moments he wished he had at least bothered to shave before getting off the train. Light stubble etched his chiseled features, making him seem pale and lethargic, elder of everyone here, and he secretly knew his strange eyes wouldn't help him to fit in either. Only bringing with him his clear contact lenses he cursed himself, feeling meager in his torn jeans, tank top and black flannel. Hyne, this could be so tough to fit in when everyone is staring at you like you're either a disease or some high society ghost. Fatigue shot through him suddenly, and Ian groaned, falling to his knees and dropping his shoulder bag. 

"Argh.. Damn it!" He grumbled, rubbing the tears out of his eyes. One of his contact lenses came loose from his iris and he searched the ground blindly for the tiny plastic particle. Behind him he heard a subtle female laughter, and the guffaws of a male voice before a voice whispered "Esuna!" and suddenly his vision cleared. 

"Useless... Must be a newbie." A deep voice chided. Coughing, Ian threw his hair back and looked upwards to see a dark haired young man with piercing hazel blue eyes, wearing a Garden uniform. At his side was a pretty young girl, with long auburn hair and brown eyes, holding onto his arm protectivly. Ian let his gaze drift over her for a few moments before setting his sights back onto the man at her side. Spitting into the ground, Ian pulled himself into a standing position and glowered at the man. 

"Just try that again, punk." Ian growled, throwing his shoulder bag to the ground. "And let's just see if you'll be able to walk when I'm through with you." 

The young man's eyes widened momentarily before he broke out into a smug grin. "Oh please. A scrub like you, fresh fish even, can't hurt me. You're probably a new comer here running away from home because Mommy didn't let you go out saturday night." 

Ian's shoulders sagged slightly, his head shaking slowly back and forth. Leaning down, he slung his bag over his shoulder and gazed towards the ground, squinting his eyes. "I don't have time for some idiot like you." 

"Big talker.." The kid murmered. He gave Ian a hard cold stare before pointing a finger at him and growling "You and me, Scrub. Outside NOW!" 

"I don't think so, Gabrian." A deep voice behind Ian growled. Breahting back a shudder, Ian turned around and faced something he considered an enormous monstrocity of a man and gasped. He was taller than Ian himself, and had dark hair and skin with mohogany features that could instil fear in just about anyone who dared stand up to him. He looked tough, brawn in his SeeD uniform, with a badge on his chest that said DC, and for the life of him Ian couldn't figure it out. At the big man's side was a petite woman Ian instantly recognized as the silver haired lady in the photo his Uncle Laguna showed him before he left for Dollet. A slight smile frayed her pale pink lips as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the one called Gabrian, before she sneered at him "DETENTION." 

Gabrian growled and ran a hand through his hair. "That's fucked, Raijin, Scrub here started it!" 

"Number one, you address me as Mr. Altone. Number two, I saw the whole thing, Gabe, and once again you decided to bestow your original welcoming committee to the young man." Raijin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small note and a pen, scribbling into the paper with fast strokes. "You're in detention for a week. And you can't participate in your next field exam. Ya know?" 

Gabrian snarled at Raijin, and snatched the slip of paper out of his hand. "Ya know? You're a fool. Don't you realize who my parents are?!" 

The silver haired woman spoke. "AFFIRMATIVE.... The people paying us to baby sit you." 

Gabrian snarled at her and muttered something incoherently. Turning his back to the couple he reached out and grabbed the girl at his side's hand in his own, and stalked off angrily with the girl in tow. She looked back at Ian and stuck her tongue out in his direction, making Ian flinch slightly. She was pretty, but her ugliness showed through right there. A grunt from the big older man behind him drew Ian's attentions away, and he gazed up at the older man and suddenly felt very very small. 

"Well, what's your name?" Raijin asked, much more calmer than when he had spoken to Gabrian. "You're new? Did someone refer you? Like, from Galbadia Garden or on your own, ya know?" 

"Yeah.." Ian gulped. "A mister.. urm.. Leonhart? Squall I think?" 

The silver haired woman smiled warmly. "Yes. We can take you to him. My name is Fujin Altone, this is my husband Raijin. We are part of the Disciplinary Comittee, and just as the name sounds, we keep things in these halls straight. Now who might you be?" 

Ian looked around his surroundings, squitning at the floor. "Ian. Ian T-.. Renzuka." 

Raijin nodded slowly, taking the young man's hesitation in stride. Lifting a heavy arm he pointed towards a direction, and whispered to Fujin to show Ian the way. Fujin nodded, and gave a slim smile towards Ian, who blinked back slightly and rubbed his forehead. Fujin frowned and laced her hands behind her back, tilting her head to the side. "Something wrong?" 

"My contact." Ian murmered, falling to his knees. "I can't see a damned thing with out both of them.." 

Raijin looked at Fujin, who simply shrugged her shoulders and fell to her knees along side Ian, searching the ground for the tiny piece of plastic. Throwing his arms in the air Raijin joined the two on the ground, seaching for Ian's contact lens, grumbling under his breath when his finger hit a tack. Placing it in his pocket, he searched the ground again, trying to the find the tiny particle in the dense light, but found it useless. "I'm sorry, ya know." Raijin murmered sadly. "It can't be here." 

Soft feminine footsteps carried a petite young girl, almost a mirror image of the girl on Gabrian's arm. Her aurburn hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail and she raised an eyebrow slowly, eyeing the DC and a scruffy looking young man at the floor, crawling around like newborn infants. "Is something wrong?" She asked, her voice low and tired. 

Ian looked up at her and gasped, crap walking away. "What, you're here to inflict salt on the injury?" he growled. 

The girl scowled down at him, her lips pursed. "If you're talking about Gabrian, then you must mean Giselle. I'm her twin sister, Collete. Ya don't like it, sorry. Not my fault she's a b.." her eyes trailed to Raijin and Fujin, who both looked up at her with raised brow expressions. "Meanie. How's that?" 

"Better than what you usually call her, ya know?" Raijin smirked, and resumed his search. Grumbling, Collete dropped her back pack to the floor and pulled a flash light from it, shining it across the floor. Ian stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, watching Collete kneel down while flashing the light over to where he was sitting. A small sparkle winked infront of his eyes, and Collete reached for it, gripping it lightly in one smooth palm. Flipping her hand over she mumbled "Does this belong to you?" And dropped the contact lens in his outstretched palm. 

"How on earth did you find it?" Ian asked, reaching into his bag for a small bottle and his lens case. Opening the bottle, he dropped the contact lens inside the case and a few drops of the cleaning solution before shaking it vigorously. "I never thought a flash light would.." 

"Help?" Collete interrupted, leaning back on her hunches. "Well, it usually works in the dark only, but hey, us near sighter's gotta stick to gether right?" 

Ian smirked, tiliting his head back. "I'm far sighted." he mumbled, removing the lens and opening his eyes wide. "So you're on your own." He blinked back a tear that formed once the plastic touched his eye. Coughing slightly, he faced Collete with a sheepish smile. "Thanks Collete. I don't know how I woulda actually walked around this huge place with out my sight ya know?" 

Collete smirked, and Ian thought she was actually quite pretty. "Well hey, where you headed anyways? It's the weekend. You a newbie?" 

"Yeah. I'm lookin' for Squall Leonhart? He uhh.. referred me." Ian sheepishly looked to the floor. "And I don't know where the office is." 

Collete snickered, crossing her arms over her torso. "Oh I bet you don't. Well come on, Ian, I'll lead the way if you want." 

With out giving him the chance to answer, Collete grabbed his hand and yanked him forward, barely giving him enough time to zip his shoulder bag. Yanking the bag on his shoulder, Ian looked around him as Collete dragged him up the staircase, pulling him towards an elegant glass elevator that seemed to reach forty stories high. Even living in the wonderful realm of Esthar could never prepare him for the exquisite yet delicate decor of Balamb Garden, with it's enchanting glassy looks and perpetual water fountains. At least the waterworks died down a little on the inside, set in calming yellow, blue and green hues, a nice cry from the gleaming silver and cyans of Esthar. This was much easier on the eyes, even his far sighted ones. 

Stepping inside the elevator, Collete gave Ian a once over with her eyes. "So, you're a newbie here. Commander Leonhart refer you?" 

"Sorta." Ian shifted his bag over his shoulder. "He came to see his dad, and I was staying there. Saw me practicing with a whip, and talked to me about it. I liked the idea so.." 

"So you decided to rebel yell huh." Collete smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can't be much older than me. How old are you anyways?" 

"Seventeen. Just turned." Ian gazed through the glass doors of the elevator. "This place always so damned extravagant?" 

"Always has been, always will be. Nothing much's changed. Added a few dorms since my dad's time, but hey, it happens." The elevator stopped, and the glass doors slid open, revealing a plush crimson setting. Ian let out a low whistle and shook his head slightly, wondering if at one time this room served as a brothel of sorts before a tired looking woman, gazed up at them. A slight smile tinged her lips, as the lines of time appeared on her cheeks. ian served her up as no more than his own mother's age, even if Father time's hands molded her features a bit harshly. Standing up, she let a hand towards the pair and extended it towards Ian, her smile wavering slightly just as she peered at his features closely. 

"Hello.." She mumbled. "My name is Xu. How do you do?" 

"Hi." Ian struck out his own hand, encasing hers. "My name is Ian Renzuka. I'm here because Commander Leonhart talked to me about this place a while back, and offered me a place?" 

Xu's tired eyes nodded, looking around. "Yes.. yes he told me about you. You're staying with Laguna, right?" 

"Yeah." Ian grinned. "He's a nice dude." 

Sighing Xu nodded, picking up a form from her desk and handing it to him. "Here." She murmered, giving him a pen. "Fill out this form, and give it back to me. I'll report you to Commander Leonhart right now." With that she sat down at her desk gingerly and sighed, busying herself over a new stack of papers that needed to be signed, faxed, and worked on. Ian gave her a glance of sympathy before looking down at his form. 

"Mother's name...? Father's name...?" Fuck. Laguna said don't mention Almasy or Trepe around here, didn't he? "Do I really have to fill this thing out, Miss Xu?" 

Xu looked up at him, a grim smile on her face. "Only if you wish to attend." 

"Right. Right.." Ian gazed back down at his form, and reread the lines. "Are these going to be full read?" 

"Of course not. We only read them incase you get hurt, just to see what you're allergic to, and incase we need to contact your parents. Until you're twenty one, you're a ward of Garden and cannot join with out filling the form." Xu placed her pen down on the desk,g azing at Ian with curiosity. "Why? Don't you know what you're allergic to?" 

"Yeah. I do." An elbow into his ribs brought his attention to Collete, who eye'd him wearily. "What? Now what?" 

"What's your problem? My dad told me everything is strictly confidential. So, these are for filing reasons." She smirked, leaning back in her seat. "So just fill the thing out so Xu can take a break, will ya?" 

"Fine. Fine." Ian scribbled his Quistis Trepe onto the form and then inched his pen towards the other line. Writing slowly, Ian spelled out Seifer Almasy and then hesitated before writing in paranthesis 'Deceased' and continueing along the form. Allergies? Nothing except dog fur, one of the things that denied him a pet all his life. Handicaps. Far sightedness corrected by contact lenses. Schooling, Esthar independant studies. Graduated age fifteen, so no need for any schooling here. Intelligance Quitient? Average, 137. Magic status? None learned. None drawn. Oh well, Ian grimaced, guess I should attend a class or two on those subjects. Past injuries? None, thank Hyne. Weapon specialty, whip. Brand, Save the Queen. Well, Ian smirked. This wasn't so bad. Who to contact incase of emergency: Laguna Loire of Esthar, 12 (225) 564-3342, Ellone Loire of Esthar, 12 (225) 564-6675 and Quistis Trepe of Esthar 12 (225) 564- 1221 

Standing up, he placed the form on Xu's desk and flashed her a grin. "Sorry it took so long, Miss Xu." 

Xu looked up at him and nodded, pulling his paper into her hands. "No problem..?" 

"Ian. Ian Renzuka." 

"Ian." Xu pulled out her pencil and scribbled on Ian's form, adverting her eyes from his answers. "Okay. I'll file this right now, and you right on ahead and see Mister Leonhart." 

"Thanks Miss Xu. Later Collete." Ian smiled, waving good bye to the other girl and turned to face the office door. Behind him he heard Xu's voice ring out into the buzzer that Squall had a guest, and to make himself decent. A polite chuckle from the reciever and a 'You're fired Xu' in a female voice made Xu's withered face seem somewhat young again. Ian slowly shook his head as he gribbed the doorknob. In her youth, she must have been a lovely lady. A shame that hardships and lonliness obviously tortured her into the woman she was today. A scarey thought, Ian mumbled to himself before turning the brass knob and stepping into the office of Commander Squall Leonhart. 

"Mister Leonhart?" Ian called, towards teh desk. Squall was speaking with a woman, much shorter than Ian, wearing a sky blue SeeD uniform and heels. She was an attractive woman, even if her hair seemed to be a more vibrant shade in her past. Yet her face was void of any wrinkle, except a few laugh lines when she smiled. When she faced him, Ian immediately recognized her as the girl in the picture, with a dog that had passed on long ago. Except now was a different dog with her, an almost replica of Angelo, only with darker hair. Rinoa? Yeah, that's what her name was. A smile traced Rinoa's lips as she saw him, and nodded, sitting down in a seat. 

"Ian?" Squall spoke up, glancing towards the door. "Oh, hello. Here, have a seat." 

Sitting down, Ian crossed his ankle over his knee. "I filled out the forms, sir. I took up your offer of joining Balamb Garden." 

Squall lifted an eyebrow slightly and smiled thin. "Good. During the past few years we've only had a select few priceless people actually pass Garden to become full fledged SeeDs. From what I saw in Esthar, you'd be a great asset to this garden." Squall stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, this is Rinoa Leonhart, my wife. More then likely she'll be teaching you one on one, since you've obviously already graduated regular schooling. Only thing we need to teach you is Guardian Forces and Magic. Then you'd be all set for your field exam." 

"Field exam?" Ian squeeked out. "You mean, actual going out to the field and.. taking a test? Can't we do that in a classroom just fine?" 

Squall blinked, his features looking stunned. "Uh. No, Ian. I see we have more work to do with you.." 

Mumbling under his breath, Ian drew his eyebrows together while Rinoa's polite chuckles danced in his ears. Squall went on speaking of the Garden's ruling and the laws that he would abide, the classes he would attend and the money he would recieve for which jobs he did, while Rinoa gazed upon the young man. In her mind's eye, for a reason she couldn't fathom she imagined a scar crossing between those drawn eyebrows, and stiffled a gasp before Squall could hear it. The resemblance was eerily similar, yet she couldn't place why. Sure, he had the green eyes.. or were they blue? He had come into the office smiling, yet now that he seemed to scowl slightly, she took in thought that he did look a lot like Seifer Almasy, with the fire and passion that man held seemingly oozing from Ian's aura. Yet he held a calm, strict personality as well, something rarely seen at all in Seifer. A calm personality that reminded her of a wonderful friend, who she put her wedding on hold for, and who left long long ago. 

"So, anyway Ian," Squall finished, giving Ian a staredown. "That's that. After this meeting I'll set you up in a dorm and have Instructor Kinneas take you to your room. Any questions?" 

"Yeah." Ian said, looking up at Squall. "What's with all the water around here? Are you holding off for a drought or something?" 

A groan from Squall and a chuckle form Rinoa, before she got a good look at Ian's face. Hyne, she whispered to herself. They're both.. 

********************************* 

Quistis Trepe was scared. 

Fear gripped her colder than the black glove of death she had touched so many times before, and pulled away in the knick of time before it claimed her. This time, it was Ian. She had come back to the hotel room to find it empty, and his things gone. No note. Nothing. Her Save the Queen was probably with him as well. Where the hell would he go with that? Or was it stolen along with her son? Fuck that damned thing. Ian was gone. Ian wasn't here. None of his things, no trace of him was left behind. "Ian," Quistis cursed, slamming her fist into a near by table. "Where the hell did you go?!" 

"Take a chill pill, Quistis." Youngju mumbled, tilting her head to the side. "He can't be far. Nida saw him, didn't he? And he mentioned he was in a hurry." 

"We spoke for hours, Youngju." Quistis murmered, shaking her head. "Hours. Ian could be anywhere by now." 

"Hey," Nida chimed in. "Quistis, you don't raise fools. I bet Ian's not the type to just run off on a whim, huh? It could be planned. Why don't you call Esthar and ask Laguna if he went back home?" 

"Did that." Quistis mumbled. "Before I called you two. Laguna hasn't heard from him since we left, and neither has Sis." Quistis sat down in a chair, throwing her feet up on the table next to it. "Damn you Ian!" 

"Look, Quisty. He's probably heading back there now anyways." Youngju tilted her dark mane, pulling it back into a tight pony tail. "So, why don't you get over to Esthar tomorrow and try to see what's up? Maybe he talked to a few of his friends about taking off." 

"Maybe.. His ex girlfriend might know. They used to talk all the time before.." Quistis trailed off. Youngju frowned at her, and Quistis frowned back. "Before I strapped her naked to a tree after she accused Ian of trying to push on her." 

Nida smirked, his lips growing wider before he broke into all out laughter. "You really did that to some poor girl?" He chuckled, gripping his sides. 

She gave him a stern, serious look. "No one blames my son for their insecurities." 

"Shut up, all of you." Youngju glowered angrily, standing to her feet. "Quistis, get some rest tonight, tomorrow I'll go with you to Esthar and see what we can find out. Nida, please put out a notice for him in Sweet Viper's touch, will ya? Every drunk, rich guy, and poor dude comes in on the weekends. It'll get lots of exposure." She smirked. "Besides, who else knows Dollet like you, Nida?" 

With a grin from Nida, Quistis relaxed just a little, and gazed into a crystal vase. For some insane reason, she wanted water. 

Lots and lots of water. 

**************************************   
Congratulations to Chibi Quistis Almasy for being a GREAT gal, and being my 1,000th reviewer! Thy shall have ye fic s00n!


	6. Information.

Information 

************* 

_Great Hyne, does it ALWAYS have to be this boring?_ Taelon scowled, thinking over and over in his mind at how his fingers itched towards Sharp Shot. Wouldn't matter anyway, since his field exam was in three weeks. He would be able to use the thing then, finally, in real hard-core combat. Some decent action, at least, instead of the book reading on GF's and magic. Taelon gazed to his side and cocked his head, wondering about the new kid with near platinum hair was up to. He actually seemed to love the knowledge that Miss Tilmitt was trying to seep into their brains, lapping at it like a thirsty Grat to water. At least he was nice. When Taelon saw him in the halls with Gabrian and Giselle, and noted at how he just didn't back down or throw a punch at the Headmaster's son, he was shocked. Gabrian's attitude left nothing to the imagination, he was just a plain asshole, using his status as Cid and Edea Kramer's son to gain access to all those around him. At least Contessa, his twin sister was much nicer, a different side to his coin. 

Contessa was a sweet, sweet girl, with her mother's disposition. Nothing ever made her be cross with anyone. Like her mother, she was sweet, kind, and enduring of everyone's faults and always being the picker upper. She sat next to the new kid, and whenever he would frown slightly she'd whisper some advice and soon he'd be flying free. Even though he seemed a bit uncomfortable in his Garden uniform, the guy seemed to make the best of everything. Taelon tried to talk to him once, but lost the nerve once Contessa reared over to him and smiled sweetly, asking if he needed any help on his subjects. By the time Taelon convinced her he didn't, the guy had disappeared, and no sight of him had appeared until the next morning, for class. 

Sighing to himself, Taelon rested his head on his arms, listening to Miss Tilmitt's voice ring in his ears. Being the son of the Lion and Angel was no walk in the park. 

"Alright class." Selphie Tilmitt sighed. "Enough for now. Field exams are in two weeks. Ian?" 

The new kid looked up from his studying and seemed to swallow. "Yes Instructor Tilmitt?" 

"Can we speak after class? Taelon as well." She drifted her eyes towards Taelon, whom looked up at her and nodded. "Alright, everyone else, dismissed." 

A scatter of voices and noises and soon the room cleared, leaving no trace behind of the students who formally occupied it. Ian sat at his desk, leaning back in his seat and gazed at Selphie as she ruffled a few papers. He turned his gaze at Taelon, who nervously fidgeted in his seat, seemingly squirming. Ian took note that the kid was small, probably only fifteen and on the thin side, didn't seem like the trouble making type. More like a bookworm even, and a long-range fighter due to the projectile case he was carrying. He was also one of the smartest kids in the class, so why was he here anyways? 

Selphie cleared her throat and motioned for the two boys to come forward to her desk. "Alright. Ian, I've noticed a few things in your studies. You don't seem to be handling Magic too well, so I'm gonna ask Taelon here to assist you in it." She brought her gaze to the sheepish young man. "Would that be okay, Taelon?" 

Taelon looked up at Selphie, his dark blue eyes confused. "Are you sure? I mean… Can't someone else do it?" 

Ian blinked a few times, and Taelon gazed upwards at him. Seeing the fear in his eyes, Ian gave him a calming smile and ran a hand through his hair. "If you're too busy, or something Taelon I can easily try and force my way through it. Don't wanna bring ya down with me or anything." 

Taelon shook his head slightly, pulling his gaze away from Selphie to Ian. "No, it's not that Ian. I just sorta need ya know… My mom and dad just need me to… to..." 

"That's no problem, Taelon." Selphie chimed in. "I already spoke to Squall and Rinoa and they said they'd clear the way for you." She sat back down in her seat, comfortable and relaxed while Taelon twitched. 

"Oh." Was all Taelon said, staring at the ground. Selphie smiled warmly at Ian and Taelon brought his eyes back to hers. "Okay. Sure, no problem." 

With that Selphie waved a hand away at them, telling them to go out and enjoy the rest of their weekend free of homework and Instructors. Ian went back to his seat and retrieved his bag, and glanced upwards to flash Taelon a polite smile before swinging his arm bag over his shoulder. Taelon nervously fingered his Sharp Shot case, glancing every once in a while at Ian before giving the other boy a polite nod, and feeling very, very insecure compared to him. He had gotten his father's height, being five foot eight, yet his mother's facial features took over when he was born. He was an almost exact replica of Rinoa, yet his father's lighter hair and blue eyes somehow made it through the gene pool. At least he didn't get her height. 

Ian gazed upwards at Selphie and then back to Taelon. Stepping towards the younger man, he tapped him on the shoulder and jumped back when Taelon turned around suddenly, shouting in fear. "Hey, man, chill out." Ian said, a slight smile tracing his lips. "I'm not gonna hurt you or anything." 

Taelon nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "Sorry. I'm just sort of jumpy. Ya know?" 

"I guess." Ian ran a hand through his hair. "So, when do ya wanna get started? We've got three weeks 'till the field exam, and two 'till the actual test. I really need to get through this bad." 

"We can start this weekend if you want; maybe in about an hour or so. I wanna head down to the training center and release some pent up tension." Taelon held up and tapped his Sharp Shot case. "So, maybe in about an hour-" 

"Hey yeah! I'll join ya." Ian interrupted. "I've been meaning to try and draw some magic, for practice, but with you there it might be a little easier. You can show me the ropes. Easier then sittin' down in some library and pulling out a book." 

Taelon gave a nervous laugh as he tilted his head towards the exit of the classroom. This was going to be a long day. 

********** 

Quistis screamed and howled for the fourth time in an hour. Ian was gone. No sign on him yet. Nothing. No one's seen him, and the officers just issued him a runaway, and asked if she would like to press charges because he had taken with him her Save the Queen. It took both Laguna and Ordin to hold her back from scratching the young officer's eyes out, while she screamed that her child was missing, not a thief. The officer merely nodded with a hint of fear in his eyes while Ordin locked her in her room and Laguna spoke with him, telling him that she either got hit in the head or didn't take her medication. 

That was almost a weak ago. Youngju and Nida had chosen to come with her back to Esthar, hiring someone to run the bar until their return. Their presence was an undaunted comfort, and she needed it immensely. Ordin had taken Nida and Youngju out on the town for a few hours, showing them the way of Esthar and Laguna finally got Quistis to sit down and talk to him over a cup of coffee and some sort of 'comfort food' she so adored. Chomping down into something that seemed to be coated in sugar and creams, Quistis brought her worried gaze to Laguna and Ellone, who were both attempting to calm her down with the platter of sweet and rich foods. 

"I want my boy, Laguna." She mumbled, setting down the pastry. "I don't understand. Why the fuck would he ran off like this?!" 

Laguna shook his head, sipping from his coffee cup. "I don't know why..." 

"Quisty," Ellone spoke up, gazing at her with serene eyes. "Please don't worry. We'll find him, trust me." 

Shaking her head, Quistis pushed the platter of food away from her, leaning back into her seat. "He's been gone over a week, Sis. Ian has never done this sort of thing before. Do you know how hard this is?!" 

"Of course she does, Quistis." Laguna mumbled. "You've been reminding us since forever. Now calm down, and take a deep breath. I'm sure Ian is fine." 

Quistis shook her head slowly, holding back the tears that appeared in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but silenced herself when the phone rang; it's jingling ceasing all forms of talk between the trio. Holding up a hand, Ellone lifted herself form her seat and sauntered towards the cradle, lifting the receiver to her lips. 

"Hello? Presidential palace of Esthar." She spoke. A smile formed on her lips as a familiar voice on the other end answered. 

"Sis? It's Squall. How are you holding up?" Squall asked, pleasantly surprised to be speaking with Ellone. 

"Oh, little brother, how are you? How are things back at Balamb? I know, I'm sorry for not seeing you on your last visit.." 

A polite chuckle form Squall's end sounded. "It's okay Sis. Just letting you know that I'll be there with in a week, again. Oh, can you give the phone to Dad for a moment? I wanted to talk to him about the new pupil he sent here." 

"New pupil?" Ellone scowled. "What new pupil?" 

"Sis, don't play dumb. The kid that was living with you guys the last time I was there? Ian Renzuka? Yeah, well he took my advice and came here." Squall sounded very contented, and didn't seem to notice Ellone's hand was tightening on the receiver. "He's VERY good. He just might make it SeeD in record timing." 

"Mm...Hmm... Allright. Squall, I'll go get Uncle Laguna now." She said in a hurried voice. Cupping her palm over the receiver, she glared at Laguna, and thrust the phone to him. "It's Squall, Uncle Laguna. After this, you and I are going to have a long talk." 

Sheepishly smiling, Laguna picked up the receiver and muttered into the mouthpiece "Hello?" 

"Dad?" Squall said. "Dad, you won't believe this. That boy, Ian I met when I was there? He's here now, and I have to say, he's incredible. We haven't had such a great whip tamer since Quistis. He's great, dad. Just great. He's even going on a field mission in three weeks. Three weeks, can you believe that?" 

"Uh... yes. I guess I can." Laguna cast a wary glance towards Quistis, who was giving him one of her own. "He is very good at it..." 

"Alright. Anyways, father, I just called to tell you I'll be in Esthar a week from yesterday. So, I'll see you then. We'll talk about Ian when I get there, see if he has any siblings." A soft chuckle form Squall suddenly made Laguna very nervous. "Bye, and kiss Sis for me." 

"Take care son.." Laguna placed the receiver back onto its cradle, and cast a glance at Quistis then to Ellone, who was silently seething. "Well..." Laguna raised a hand to his hair, tugging at his ponytail. 

"How could you do that Uncle Laguna!?" Ellone shouted, clenching her fists at her side. "He can't have any contact with Balamb! You know it! You _knew_ it! What the hell where you thinking?!" 

Quistis looked up, and stood to her feet, mimicking Ellone's stance. "What? What is she talking about, Laguna?" 

Laguna wearily sat down, ignoring Ellone's glaring eyes and stared at the table. Resting his arms on top, he pointed to Quistis' seat and murmured, "You better sit down for this, Quistis. I won't tell you until you do." 

With that, Quistis placed herself back in her seat and laced her fingers together nervously. "Okay, Laguna. I'm sitting. Tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning." 

An hour later, Quistis was still screaming and hollering, damning everyone and everything in Balamb to death, while Laguna buried his face in his hands. Finally, they convinced her to confront Squall when he arrived, and even though her heart yearned to grab her son, hold him, hug him, then murder him for leaving, she finally complied. 

But still, she screamed, threw things, and when Ordin came back, almost attacked him. It took Nida, Laguna, and Ordin all at once to hold her down so Ellone could inject her with a sedative to calm her frazzled nerves and give everyone's ears a break. 

******** 

A sharp clanging sound, and the T-Rex fell to it's knees, and was torn apart by the sharp leather of a Marlboro. Groaning in pain, the beast fell to its side, and disappeared into the soft earth, leaving behind a few over sized bones. Ian kneeled down next to them, and turned them over in the dirt, eyeing their texture. Picking one up, he tossed it to Taelon and pocketed the other, wiping a damp lock of hair from his eyes. 

"Well." Ian murmured. "Our first official kill man. And I've got enough Silence and Sleep to last me a lifetime." 

"Yeah, well, hey no problem!" Taelon added nervously, kicking the floor. Pulling Sharp Shot off his arm, he groaned when he looked at the armband that held the weapon in place. "Oh... Shit." 

"What's up?" Ian asked, looking over at the younger boy. Taelon held up his Sharp Shot, and pulled apart the arm bracket, showing a large crack in the metal helm. Ian let out a low whistle and shook his head. "That's gonna be kinda hard to fix." 

"Yeah. But if I ask Mister Dincht to fix it, he'll freak on me. This is the third time." Taelon grumbled, looking at the broken armband. "I just might get detent ionized yet." 

Ian shook his head, and took the Sharp Shot away from him. Holding it up to the light, he looked it over and smirked. "Dude, are you right handed or left?" 

"Left. Why?" Taelon crossed his arms, frowning slightly. 

"Man, you've been wearing it on the wrong arm. This one's designed specifically for the right arm. On your left, it throws off your balance and shortens your accuracy and that sucks when you're a long ranger." He handed the winged lion shaped projectile back to Taelon, and took the arm bracket, setting it on the ground. Retrieving his bag, Ian pulled out a gold metal armband, and pried apart the Sharp Shot bracket pieces. Pulling out six screws and a steel pipe, Ian began reworking the fitted maims of the armband, and called Taelon over. Pulling the younger boy's left arm close, he latched the band on and made the right measurements, then pulled it off, tapping it on the ground and adding the steal pipe. When he was through, Ian grabbed Taelon's arm once more and latched it on correctly, then fitted the projectile. "There. Now try to hit that tree over there, the branch if possible, see if it's a better shot. If not, then I'll play with it a little more." 

Nodding, Taelon aimed high at the tree. Pulling back on the lever, a sharp _Clank!_ was heard, and soon a slicing sound as a large branch toppled from the foliage. Crashing into the ground, it fell apart as soon as it touched the dirt, much to the pleasure of Taelon. Looking up at Ian, the younger man grinned fast and exclaimed "Holy crap I actually did it!" 

Ian smirked, and crossed his arms. "Yeah. My mom's boyfriend taught me a lot of stuff like that. He's one of the generals in the army, with my mom." 

Taelon nodded. "How about your dad? Did they get a divorce?" 

"What?" 

"I asked, how about your dad? Did your mom and dad get a divorce or something?" Taelon frowned. "You haven't mentioned him once." 

Ian shrugged. Pulling his pack back onto his shoulder, he started to talk. "My dad died before I was born. My mom raised me all by herself. I love her for what she did; she's cool that way. I never felt unloved or missing a father figure or something, 'cause I always had my Uncle Laguna around, and now, for the past few months, Ordin." 

"Hey!" Taelon shouted. "Laguna of Esthar?" 

"Yeah. Why?" 

"Hey. He's my grandpa." Taelon smirked. "How do you know him?" 

Ian stared at him with a slight stare of fear. "What's your last name, Taelon?" 

"Leonhart. Why?" 

Ian dropped his bag, his weapon clanging along with Taelon's disfigured armband. "What? Leonhart? As in **Squall** Leonhart?" 

Taelon frowned. "Yeah. My dad. Something wrong Ian?" 

"No. Not anymore. Taelon, I'm gonna need your help." Ian walked over to Taelon, and sat down on a fallen log. "I need you to ask your dad a few things for me." 

"Hold it, Ian." Taelon shook his head slightly. "What's going on?" 

Ian gulped, and stared into the ground. "Look, what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell another living soul, okay?" He brought his multi colored eyes up into Taelon's brown ones, and tried to see if the guy was sincere. "I need some information on Seifer Almasy. Can you get into the school's computer and get me a print out of him? And Quistis Trepe too." 

Taelon's steel blue eyes went wide, and seemingly he lapsed into shock. Sitting down next to Ian, he whispered "Ian, why man? What's up?" 

"I..I can't tell you." Ian looked away, and crossed his arms over his knees. "It's one of the sole reason's I'm here." 

"I can't do shit with out knowing why." Taelon whispered. "Just tell me okay? I can keep a secret, no big deal here." 

Ian grumbled something under his breath and sighed, pulling himself to his feet. Putting his bag on the floor, he unzipped it and brought out Save the Queen, cracking it in one hand and coiling up in the other. "This whip belongs to my mother. She used to attend Garden, then became pregnant with me and left after my father died. I don't know why she left, or how she left, or even how my father died. All I know is that they both attended this Garden, and became kinda high rank." He shook his head and handed the whip to Taelon. "It's a Save the Queen, my mom's pride and joy. When she finds out where I am, she'll want my ass because she hates this place with a passion, and I don't know why. I wanna know why. I snuck here from Dollet, with out her knowing, after your dad told me about it when he visited my Uncle Laguna." 

Taelon over looked the whip and frowned, his eyes growing wider by the moment. "Dude... you're... You're the son of Seifer and Quistis Almasy?" 

Ian shrugged, sitting down. "So you have heard of my mom and dad?" 

Taelon nodded, blinking a few times. The silence was deafening, and Ian pulled a pack from his back pocket, tapping out a cigarette and lighting it with the tip of a match he struck on Taelon's Sharp Shot. Firing the tip of the cigarette, Ian puffed a few time, blowing the smoke away from his face, and offered a stick to Taelon, who refused. "Sorry man, I'm too fond of breathing." 

A smile traced Ian's lips. "You're a good friend, Taelon. I like you man." 

With that, Taelon grinned, gazing at his newly altered Sharp shot while Ian's mind ran a thousand miles a minute with the new information he would soon receive. 

*************** 

Hey ya'll! Sorry for not ya know, catchin' up :) For the time being, I have been reading [**Bubba Ray's**][1] incredible story, [**Sins of the Father**][2]. Now I'm not one to shameless plug an' stuff, but every time I read this magnificent piece, I always see something new, and different, something that changed my views somehow, or some way, and I suggest you see it as well. And remember, review review review!  
Oh also, thank you Fly for beta reading *sniffles* She's so nice...

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=Directory-AuthorProfile&UserID=46544
   [2]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=220428



	7. Feelings.

Feelings. 

********** 

_Years before..._

"So this is it?" The high commander whispered, gazing around the structure with doubtful eyes. A month ago, this place had been pinpointed as the falling grounds for Esthar's Eclipse, an elite fighting ship with the best of handy work used to create it. The first beta EPALI was christened upon this gem, with its high technical status and it's insane mechanics, even this ship was far beyond any thing that Esthar could create today. Pulling off his scuba gear, High Official in charge Martine Reflected on his past time in Galbadia, the schools, and how he had come here in the Galbadian army to resurrect this piece of equipment, study it, and some how mimic Esthar's enhanced technology in their Galbadian government. When they had heard about Martine's experience in Galbadia Garden, they asked him to join and in a matter of a year he worked himself to the bone to ascend the ladder, and finally in time, became the elite official they needed to exhume the remains of the Eclipse. 

Pushing away wires and traps, a waft, musky smell entered Martine and his comrade's nostrils, an unusually sweet smell, that one could only claim as an old woman's perfume. Gasping, Martine shut his eyes and let his senses evolve before issuing a flip of his hand to his team of investigators forward, down the halls of dark square glass that seemed to at one time glow. Toughing them gently, Martine gazed in wonder as the tunnel ended with a large room, surfaced by long dead wires and platforms, all done in gleaming silvery strands. Shackles on the walls where obviously used for prisoners, where rusted and dull now, and didn't seem capable of holding someone with great strength anymore. Just one thing that seemed to need to be replaced, Martine wondered, pulling the neck of his scuba gear away. Humidity in the high sunny plains of Deiling was nothing compared to in here, even if it was just the beginnings of spring. That, with the stench of the horrid perfume choked up their throats as they pressured on. 

Running his lithe fingers across the wall, Martine noted that no water had seemed into the structure, aside from a pool on the other end of the room. he could still hear the droplets flitting into what sounded like a small pool, or bathtub. In the distance he could see the glints of light sparkle off the drips, winking in the beams before they disappeared into realms unknown. Waving a hand towards his comrades, Martine pointed towards the back of darkened room that was only lit by emergency lights, and gingerly stepped towards the shackles he had seen earlier. Picking one up in his hand, he examined it closely, dubbing it made of just regular steel. The rust marks were imbedded deep into the hard metal, making them useless. Dropping them back to the wall with a clink, Martine picked himself up, and finally relaxed in his breathing. 

A shout from one of his comrades, and the hair on the back of Martine's neck stood on end. 

"Sir! Over here! We've found a cadaver!" 

A cadaver. No wonder it smelled so bad in here. 

Pulling himself away from his examination, Martine cracked his neck harshly, the sound echoing off the walls. Before he took more than three steps, the sound of weapons being brandished and a shout of 'Don't move!" before Martine himself yanked his gun from the holster and tore off after the sounds. 

A subtle laughter in an unknown voice made the men waver their guns, and some even replace theirs back into the holsters. Coming up in front of them, Martine stared at what seemed to be a skeletal example of a man, with a wicked glint in his eye. He stood about six foot, maybe taller, and lifted heavily dirt drenched hair away from his face to give a glance at each face of each soldier. He was still chuckling when his eyes finally hit Martine and then the laughter ceased, instead his lips, chapped and bruised from subtle dehydration, formed into a strict line. With cracked, hard movements, the man sat down beside what looked like a bathtub, and buried his face between his knees, and the laughter started again. 

Martine gazed to the body in the bathtub, filled with slow dripping water and was barely able to keep the contents of his stomach in place. Purple and oozing, the bloated body's head was in an unusual position, insinuating a broken neck was the cause of death, and not drowning. Pointing to it with the barrel of his revolver, Martine spoke up first to the distraught man. "Who's that?" 

Wicked green eyes lifted upwards, glaring hard at Martine. "Angustus Trepe." His scarred, broken voice whispered through the chuckling. "Broken neck. Fell from up there." He lifted a thin, dirty finger upwards, and then pointed to the tub of overfilled water. "He wouldn't shut up, so I put him in there. A man with a broken neck can't...can't… hurt her...can't...tell me… she hates me.." 

Kneeling down, Martin placed a gentle palm on the younger man's shoulder. "Talk to me... Are you who I think you are?" 

The laughter stopped. He gazed up at him with steel green eyes now, straight teeth chewing his bottom lip into a blood stained mess. "You know anyone else with my face, _MARTINE?!_" The name slipped his lips as a hiss, and a scowl formed over his face before be pulled away, once again placing his head between his knees. A drop of blood escaped his lips before his tongue could catch it and puddle upon the floor. 

Standing up straight, Martine motioned with a wave of his hand to the others, telling them to take care of the body and seized the ships' control room. Leaning a hand out to the man before him, he whispered. "Seifer?" 

"It's…been a long time. Been a long time..." he mumbled. "Since anyone's called me that..." 

"So it is you?!" Martine whispered, his voice hushed with confusion. "The scar..." 

"Tipped you off?" Seifer laughed, his voice raspy. Bringing his thin, hollow face to Martine, he smiled in what felt like for the first time in forever. "Yes…remind me…to thank Squall." 

Martine nodded and stood up, extending a hand to him. "Come on, son, we'll take you back to Garden and-" 

"NO!!" Seifer shouted, slapping Martine's hand away. "Don't! Don't t-take me back there!" He gasped, pushing himself up against a wall. His lips cracked further and the bleeding continued. 

Martine stepped away, holding his palms out in front of him. "Why not? It's okay…" He murmured, trying desperately to sound fatherly. 

Shaking, Seifer pulled his knees to his chest, and began to sob, hard, cold cries that sounded like a wounded wraith. Clawing into his legs, Seifer murmured under his breath, "Because…they..." 

"Yes?" Martine urge gently, stepping closer. 

"Th…They left me…with.. HIM!" He thrust a shaking finger towards the body, hovered over by a few officers. The stench of the cadaver filled the air once more, as sublet splashing sounds and a zip as they placed the body in a bag. Nodding, Martine understood the young man's plight, and brought the shivering body into his arms, stroking his dirt and sweat matted hair while Seifer cried. 

"Don't worry, child." He whispered, letting Seifer wet his clothing through. "You'll never have to see them again..." 

************** 

_Present in time..._

Quistis seethed angrily, tapping her fingers against her belt buckle nervously. Ian, Balamb Garden, Squall!? All because of Laguna. Or Ian? Who the fuck could she blame at a time like this? Herself. She dropped her chin to her chest and scowled angrily at her thoughts, thinking about how she should never have kept so much from her son. Of course he would want to know about Seifer. Of course he would. She had caught him more than once, gazing into the mirror in an attempt to take her features away from his handsome features and search for another's, with no avail. The sorrowed look on his face mixed with frustration over his sad search. It was those times she regretted not dying with Seifer, just so Ian wouldn't have to put up with this any longer. No matter how hard Quistis tried, Ian would forever have his father's nose, his eye, and chin. 

Some things a mother cannot change. 

Ellone's hands placed themselves upon her shoulder and lead her to the kitchen nook, sitting her down and handing her a cup of tea. "Quisty, you have to calm down. You've been pacing the halls for hours now. Squall will be here, like he said he would. It takes a week to get from Balamb to Esthar." 

"Why didn't he take the fucking Rag?!" Quistis hissed through gritted teeth. "It would have been a lot fucking faster. He would have been here Wednesday with my boy!" Pulling the cup to her lips, Quistis sipped harshly, scalding her tongue. 

Ellone shook her head and reached out to grip Quistis' hand. "Don't worry. We'll speak with Ian when Squall comes, alright?" 

"No, it's _not_ alright!" Quistis yanked her hand away from Ellone's grasps and slammed a palm onto the table. Ellone gasped and pulled her hands to her throat. "My son is off in Garden, where he can find out everything about my dead husband! Don't you get it!? He'll find out about Seifer! I want Ian to have a good, nurturing memory of his father, not the lap dog he was branded as! DAMN IT!" 

"Hush, Quisty. Look, calm down, drink your tea, and together we'll get through this." Ellone whispered, pulling away. Quistis merely nodded and agreed to wait. 

They didn't have too much longer. Within an hour Squall had arrived, hugging his sister and father in a tight embrace. Pulling away, Squall flashed Ellone a smile and then turned to his father, placing his bags on the floor. Laguna asked him how long he would be staying, which Squall replied to about a week and Ellone stiffened slightly, whispering under her breath "I don't think so." 

"Sis?" Squall asked, giving her a stare. "What do you mean you don't think so?" 

"Squall, we have to talk. About Ian." Laguna murmured, waving him towards the kitchen nook. "There's something about Ian you don't know." 

"Like what?" Squall asked, his voice full of hesitation. "Father, what's going on?" 

Laguna shook his head and took Squall's arm, pointing him towards the nook. Watching the scene in front of him, Squall eyed the back of a woman's head, cascading in pale blonde hair waist length. She seemed nervous, the way her hands twitched over a cup, and the way she seemed slightly jumpy as if even the slightest notion will cause her to strike. A coiled snake, she reminded him of, coiled too tight to spring on command. 

Stepping closer, Squall cleared his throat and spoke up. "Ah...Excuse me. My name is Squall. Are you a friend of my father's?" 

The coil un-tightened for an instant, and she sprang. Leaping from her chair, the woman gripped Squall by his lapels and snarled into his face, "Where the hell is my SON!?" 

Squall sputtered out the only thing he could call into his mind at the moment. "Gash... QU.._QUISTIS?!_" 

"Damn fucking right, Puberty boy." She snarled. "Now where the hell is MY SON?" 

****************** 

Bad feelings surfaced Ian's brain like a tidal wave. Yet nothing could stop the onslaught. Balamb radio stations suck. No good music, nothing hardcore or rock, mostly crap from the oldies. Not even a decent station for miles in this huge Garden? All they ever did actually play were things that the Headmaster's son loved so damned much. Gabrian Kramer. What a fucking asshole, like Taelon said he was. Nothing but boy band music could be heard over the loudspeaker. The kid was either very strange or completely outta it. Funny, no one can listen to the Backstreet boys and N'Sync this long with out going completely fucking crazy. Ian growled as he looked upwards into the speaker of the small radio be bought. 'Pop' by Nsyncfadedintothe background as something semi decent, Lighthouse, churned into his ears. Hanging' by a moment. "Mom's favorite song.." 

_I'm fallin' even more in love with you.._

Frowning, Ian looked up at the speaker, listening to the lyrics that they belted out to him. 

_Hangin' by a momeennntt...Yeah.._ "Hanging by a moment..." Ian nodded his head to the tune. "Yeah..." 

As he finished picking up his room, he began belting out the lyrics, smiling as each word escaped his lips. At least one comfort from home had prevailed to come to his need. He missed Aunt Ellone, Uncle Laguna, and his mother most of all. Never had they been apart for such a long period of time, and since he refused the urge to leave her a note, she was either freaking out in the training center or freaking out on Ordin, Laguna, Ellone… whom ever was in shouting distance. Over protective, sure, but hey what can ya gets with a mama's boy like he was? 

A mama's boy who freely admits to being one. And would kick anyone's ass for teasing him about it, damn it. 

Belting out the last lyrics, to the song, Ian pushed the clothing on the floor underneath his bed. No time to pick them up now, no time before Taelon comes over and knocks on his door to take him to the training fields. Time at this Garden wasn't so bad, aside from the horrible music; it was actually kind of fun. The atmosphere reminded Ian a _lot_ of Esthar, including the training center and the people around it who dressed strangely, but all in all it wasn't so bad. At least the colors were beautifully done in pastels of a deep, resonance color that can imprint you mind for days. 

"You suck man." 

A frown embraced Ian's features as he took a step back and looked towards his open doorframe. Taelon stood there, arms crossed over one another against his torso while wrapping his bag around his shoulder. Decked in his training outfit of a pair of loose leather pants with a belt laced through it, a long coat wrapped around his frame and trailed down to his ankles. It reminded Ian of an old coat Ordin used to wear, when off duty to hide some of the scars on his arms he received in battle. Light weight but fashionable to say the least, but it seemed to overlap Taelon in it's own girth. Taelon was a skinny guy, sure, but so is Ordin, and Ordin didn't look that gaunt in his own. 

"Man, your singing voice sucks. Off key an' all that stuff. Can't you even sing right?" Taelon snickered, walking into Ian's room and switching off his radio. 

"Yeah yeah. Sure, like you can sing better." Ian grumbled, pulling Save the Queen from its holder. Taelon merely shrugged and pulled Sharp Shot from its case as well. 

"I can, actually." He mumbled under his breath. "I got good genes for that aspect. My grandmother was a singer; mom got her voice, and my dad? Well he won't admit it but he can do a low tumble baritone like no one's business." Hooking Sharp Shot to his arm, Taelon shrugged. "Doesn't matter though. No one's thinking about the Garden Festival anyways." 

"Garden festival? A big celebration, right?" 

"Yeah. I'm thinking about singing." Taelon pushed his Sharp Shot case onto Ian's bed, and looked at it like it was a piece of clothing. "Hey can I leave this in here 'til when we get back?" 

Ian nodded, coiling Save the Queen into a tight loop. "Yeah, no problem. But go on ahead and sing, Tae. No problem for you if you can get over the stage fright." 

"Hey I'm cool." Taelon smirked. "Just hey, ya wanna get going? We've gotta get our fill of magic and shit before Instructor Kinneas has our asses." 

Nodding, Ian coiled Save the queen around a loop in his side, and stepped past Taelon towards the halls. Yet he couldn't escape the nagging feeling that some how, no matter how far he ran, or paid attention in class, that something was going to happen to cause him to cease his exploration into a past he had no right viewing. 

**************** 

[Rhyein's][1] masterful works of art.  
Go read and review her stuff now!

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	8. Caught.

Caught. 

********* 

Pickselle let her hand fall, the signal precise and daring. Ian pulled his whip from his side and stretched the base, loosening the Marlboro tentacle and junctioning sleep to it's core. Beside him Taelon and Collete did the same, positioning their weapons in their stances before the attack. Their prey had lolled off on the job, talking and jibbering, four of them in total. Raising a lithe finger, Pickselle hissed "Sleep!" and watched as one guard fell to the ground, snoring loudly and alerting the remaining trio. Taking this as his cue, Ian cracked the tip of Save the Queen against one Guard's head, and watched as he too fell down next to his friend while two others yanked out their radios. 

"Help! Somebody we need back up! now-!" Collete snickered as she lashed out at one of the guards, jamming a fist into his stomach and watching with pleasure as he too blacked out. A sharp _CLANK!_ sounded, and out sprung Taelon's Sharp Shot blade, slicing into the remaining guards' leg. He too fell beside his comrades in deep slumber, snoring loudly. Kneeling down, Ian whistled lightly as he peeled off the suit from the largest guard. 

"Heh heh heh.." Ian snickered, pulling the suit over his clothing. "This was too easy." 

"Yeah." Taelon mumbled, pulling on his helmet first and clanking Sharp Shot into place. "Let's hope it stays that way." 

Collete finished her dressed, pulling on the boots. "Who cares, we gotta get some action soon or I'm gonna scream." She tightened her gloves and smirked, noticable underneath her helmet. 

"Just like your father." Pickselle murmered, pulling off her glasses before she placed on her helmet. "Now let's go you brats. I'm you're watcher for the time being, so if something goes wrong, you listen to me, got it?" 

"Yes Mom." Collete grumbled, getting into a fighting stance. She pumped her fists into the air boxer style, her shiny red leather gloves gleaming. "Just let us get some action, huh?" 

Pickselle nodded, shoving her gray streaked black hair into her helmet. With a finger she hushed the students and proceeded to lead them towards their next mission: Infiltrate Galbadia army and destroy their base of operations, and disable their commander. Don't get caught, retreat if needed, if all else fails destroy base. 

Not too much to throw into the hands of a part time Instructor and a bunch of kids. 

**************** 

The plane ride was bumpy, tiring, but the fastest way to get to Balamb. Squall had parried along the way by underwater train, using the extra time to catch up on extra work and papers, checking upon some entry level SeeD cadets and those aspiring to become one. All he was expecting on this trip to Esthar was to gather more information on Ian Renzuka. See if he has any siblings and possibly meet his parents, not get harrassed by his over protective mother who apparently ended up being on of his best friends, from a time long long ago. Quistis Trepe had a son, Ian Renzuka, or Ian Renzuka Trepe obviously. Wiping his eyes free of the tention, Squall glanced back to her, taking note that aside from a few factors of age, and the silent rage that consumed her face, she looked exactly the same. 

Except for her newly aquired anger streak. It had taken Laguna and Ellone ten minutes to pry her off of him, and another to calm her down long enough to let her explain just exactly who Ian was. 

"Quistis, Ian's your son?" he mumbled, his hands fumbling around on his trey. "Why didn't you tell us?" 

"Squall.." Quistis murmered, looking away. "It's a long story." 

"Is Seifer the father?" 

A slight hesitation before she replied with a tart "Yes." 

"You should have come to us, Quistis. We would have helped you in any way we could, you know that." Squall began. "We've grown up together, lived and almost died together. We've got a bond, a pact that no one can break. Apparently you don't think so." 

"Oh sure, Squall." Quistis growled, her voice slightly higher than usual. "Stay at Garden, with Seife'rs baby. You don't think that I didn't hear the whispers? How heads turned? Especially those little girls that followed Relise like nothing else ever mattered. I lost my baby once, Squall. I wasn't prepared to go through it again." 

"You could have at least told us where you went." Squall murmered. "Rinoa wanted to wait until you came back to get married. Put everything on hold for a year, Quisty. It got too expensive with all the cancellations that she finally caved in." 

Quistis reached into her purse, pulling out a hairbrush and a burnt sienna hair clip. "I'm sorry Squall. But after I left I couldn't come back. I had Ian, I was broke off my ass, and Laguna took me in. I worked my ass off raising my son and working in the army that I.. I don't know." Pulling a pony tail into the crown of her head, she flipped it upwards and pinned the strands in place. "It's callous to say I ddin't find time. That's not it. I had a son to raise who's head is what a lot of obscessed females would be after. I loved Seifer too much to lose the last bit of him I had left." Pulling her hands away from her hair, she gazed at Squall intently, scrutinizing him. "Wouldn't you feel the same about Taelon?" 

Catching his breath in his throat, Squall stared at her hard. "You know about Tae?" 

"Of course I do." Quistis grumbled, replacing her hairbrush back into her bag. "Laguna speaks very highly of him. Has pictures of you three in his room all over the place." 

Squall shook his head slowly. "I can't believe my father never told me about you. Or Sis either. Are you really dating Ordin Samatone?" 

Quistis froze in her movements, her shoulders sagging slightly. "..Yes. It was mostly Ian's idea for me to start dating again. Kept wondering why I wouldn't, and Sis set me up with Ordin. So far, we've hit it off. Been dating for about six, seven months now." 

"That serious huh." Squall reached into his carry on bag and pulled out a bottle of water, uncapping it and taking a large gulp. 

"I think so. But I'm not too sure." Quistis silently asked for the bottle of water, and Squall handed it to her. "It's complicated, Squall. Very complicated." 

Squall watched her take a sip and hand the bottle back to him, before recapping it and murmering "How is it complicated? Seifer's been dead for years. You should be allowed to get on with your life." 

A sigh escaped Quistis' throat before she looked away. "I know, Squall, I know. But I can't get him out of my mind. Ian looks a lot like me, that's for sure. But he's got Seifer's eyes. Even if one is blue, when he wears his green contacts, Squall, I see Seifer looking at me. I can't take one day with out seeing him in Ian every time. Ian doesn't know what his father's done. I want to keep it that way. I want Ian to have a pure, chaste image of his father, not the..." 

"Lapdog he was." Squall continued for her. After seeing her nod, he spoke on. "It's amazing how one bad thing can keep you in the news forever, despite all the good you do." 

Quistis nodded, her face staring at her knees. "Ian.. How's he doing?" 

A sly smirk crossed Squall's face. "You wouldn't believe it. Insanely high levels, excellent accuracy, and he catchs on quick. My son had to tutor him in the drawing of magic, but he caught on real quick. If I remember right, by the time we get there it'll be a few hours before they go on the SeeD field test. Ian's very advanced, Quistis. Like his mother with a whip." 

Quistis smiled. "That's my boy.. But Squall.. I don't want him to be SeeD." 

The scar between Squall's eyes wrinkled with his frown. "What? Why not?" 

"Look." Quistis hissed. "It'll be really nice to see everyone again. It will. But I want nothing to do with Garden. Ever. I lost my daughter there, and once everyone finds out about who Ian's father is, he'll be tormented. I know that there is more then a few books in the Balamb Library detailing Seifer's reign with Edea. Maybe that's why he didn't use Trepe as his last name." Quistis sighed through pursed lips, leaning back into her seat. "Ian has talent. I know that. but I can't have him as SeeD." 

"It all comes down to how he does on the field mission, Quisty." 

"I know that. I know. Hyne.. He can't pass it." She whispered. "Hyne, please.." _Please let him inherit that one trait from his father... the trait of failure.._

********************** 

He snarled through his helmet, glaring hard at the hard working men who were under his control. Martine's death years back had left him in charge of this stead, conducting and training them as they fought and performed. Mediocre, he growled, shaking his head sadly as one young recruit tripped and fell behind, a behemoth growling loudly at him and advancing to the kill. Clicking his tongue, the Commander yanked out his blade and dove right into the beast, screaming out a foren name and commanding his Chi into a solid beam of death fire. Driving the steel blade into the beasts heart and driving it upwards, a strangled cry of enjoyment filled the air along with death cries of the beast. Smirking, the Commander yanked off his helmet and threw it to the ground with a loud clang. Reaching down, slim fingers picked up a gleaming gem, and pocketed it. "That, boys, is how it's done." He snarled, running a hand through his long flaxen strands. 

"Commander Almasy.." The fallen comrade muttered "I had the beast where I wanted him! You didn't have to come to the damned rescue. I learned how to fight from my father, and you know who he is-" 

"Private Saigon.." The Commander growled. "I don't give a rat's ass about who your father is. Yes, I know, Kiros Seagil of Esthar, blah blah fucking blah. I'll have you know, I know your father and he would have been completely disgusted with your skills. If I hadn't jumped in, you would have been Behemoth food by now. So shut up and accept the fact you joined too damned young." 

Saigon hissed a swear at the Commander, throwing off his helmet as well. "I'm not green!" 

"You're a fuckin' vegetable, Saigon." Commander Almasy growled. "Now get your ass back to the fort and tell them that we're ready to move on." 

Saigon growled and pulled himself to his feet. Leaning down to grab his helmet, he flung a middle finger towards Commander Almasy's back before retreading back towards towards the mobile fort. The Commander saw it, but paid no heed. There wasn't enough time to scavage the immaturity of one of the youngest cadets. Pulling his long blonde hair back into a tight braid, Almasy stepped towards a soldier who was limping slightly, planting a hand on his shoulder. He frowned slightly, wondering when his men had gotten so damned skinny and short. "Hey, you alright soldier?" 

The soldier looked up at him, and a gasp was audible beneath the helmet before the soldier nodded. Satisfied with the answer, Almasy stepped away and left the soldier to be, stepping towards another injured soldier before heading back to the troft himself. The soldier who had hurt his foot gestured quickly at the onbe beside him, signing to him the findings. His friend nodded slowly, looking upwards at the commander and began to walk towards him, gripping a whip at his side. 

Almasy felt him before he could react. Twisting on his heel, the sharp snap of the Save the Queen cut through the air and sliced open his glove as he caught it, staning the sand red with his blood. Yanking the shocked soldier to him, Almasy ripped off his helmet and glared down into one twin pool of emerald and one dashing sapphire, full of a mixture of fear and rage. Smirking, Almasy looked at his palm, watching the dripping crimson filter and twitched slightly, as the boy in his arm did the same. 

"You cut me.. No one's done that in a long time." Throwing the boy down, he glared at him, a hand on the holster of his own blade. "What's your name, boy?" 

The boy spit into the ground, and growled "Ian." 

Almasy threw his hair back and snickered. "Ian, eh? You're one of the intruders, aren't you?" Kneeling down, he gave Ian a hateful glare. "Some of my men found your leader. Infiltrating the base. I gave them the go ahead to do whatever they please. He's probably dead by now, and so will you unless you tell me where the rest of you infiltrates are." 

Ian's glare wavered slightly, a slight twitch in his eye. "Our leader? Dead..?" 

"That's what I just said. Now tell me where the rest of you are!" 

Ian stared at Commander Almasy, somewhat in shock. "I..I know who you are..! Seifer? Seifer Almasy? You're-" 

A twitch again from the commander as he slapped the young boy across the lips, stiffling his words. Jamming a thumb, Seifer motioned for two of the guards to pick up Ian and toss him in the truck, and commanded everyone else to remove their helmets. Two burly guards did so, as well as many of the others except for one, who shook in the oversized boots he wore. Walking over to him Seifer gripped the underside of the helmet and yanke dit off with much ease, and smirked down at a very scared, very frightened Taelon. A slight chuckle escaping his lips, Seifer flipped a wrist and the two helmet less burly guards snapped the young man up by his arms towards the truck where they had thrown Ian in as well. Wiping his palms together, Seifer barked out orders left and right to find out the identity of the young boys, just incase they decided to lie. 

******************** 

"Quisty?!" Selphie shouted gleefully, rubbing her eyes harshly to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "You're..HERE!?" 

Quistis nodded grimly, forcing a smile. "Yes.. yes I am. Selphie, do you have an Ian Renzuka in your class?" 

Selphie's face fell slightly, and she nodded. "Yeah, I do. But how come you need to know? I mean, it's been years! We have to talk okay?" She beamed up at the older woman with love in her eyes. "Do you know how long it's been?! Irvy is gonne be so happy to see you again. And Zell, and Amie, oh and Rinoa!" 

Quistis groaned, lifting a hand to her forehead. "Selphie, I can stay a lot longer, but I really need to talk to Ian Renzuka. Where is he?" 

"Quisty," Selphie mumbled, a bit of anger tinging her voice. "You just came back, after almost eighteen years, and now, all you're talking about is my new student? Why? What's the big deal?" She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back into her chair. "I figured that since it's been so long you'd at least spend some time to talk and stuff." 

"Fine." Quistis growled, leaning onto the desk. "Ian's real name is Ian Renzuka Trepe. He's my son, Seifer's son, and I don't want him joining Garden for personal reasons and if he isn't returned to me right this instant I'll be kicking more than just his ass. Understand?!" 

Selphie blinked a few moments, her breath in her throat. Lifting her hand to her throat, she delicately played with a ring on a chain she served as a pendant. "Are..Are you serious?" 

"Never more about anything in my life. So where is my son?" 

"Quisty.. I'm sorry. But.. he's on his field mission right now. He won't be back until tomorrow at best." Selphie said sadly. "But.. Why didn't you tell us?" 

Quistis sighed, gazing around Selphie's classroom. It was done in bright yellows and pastel greens, just like Selphie herself to make her room seem like a ray of sunshine. "Cafeteria. Everone, they should be there. I'll explain everything, okay? Until then.." She trailed off, waving a hand through the air. "I need some rest. Can I take a nap in your room?" 

Selphie blinked and nodded, standing up. "I don't have another class until Monday. Pickselle tookt eh kids on the trip." 

"Pickselle?" 

"Yeah. She's a part time instructor here, just for field missions. We went horribly low on them, and on qualified SeeD cadets six years back when Galbadia Garden and Trabia expanded. A lot of the kids here wanted to use a whip, just like you" She pointed a finger twards Quistis. "But we've only got two whip intructors and a lot of others who fair in other areas. The kids who wanted to learnt eh whip transferred to Galbadia because Instructor Mastien doesn't teach defence, only offence. A lot of our kids died because of that." 

Quistis nodded sadly, the news spread quickly of the children's deaths a few years ago. Her heart pinged for them, but there was nothing she could do about it. "Get everyone together okay? We'll meet in the cafeteria, have lunch, and wait for my son." 

Selphie nodded. "I should have known he was your son. He has your eyes." 

"No.." Quistis murmered. "He has ours." 

************ 

Ian woke up, groggy, his muscles aching with pain. The stun gun burns on his neck were tingling, and he groaned as he reached towards them, feleing them with the tips of his fingers. Flashs of memory came at him, and he realized where exactly he was. Seifer, his aformentioned father, glaring down at him and the instant he said his name, recieved a slap across the face. No chance to tell him exactly who he was to the Commander, but then again that might have been a horrible idea in the first place. If he knew he just might do something about it, and that itself was a scarey idea. 

"Ian?" A soft, shakey female voice whispered. "Ian, wake up." 

"What..? huh?" Taking his time, Ian listened to the voice and concluded who's throat it belonged to. "Collete?" 

He opened his eyes to see her, scared, shivvering and clutching her knees to her chest. Her amber eyes seemed glazed over with fear and she shook slightly, glancing around herself, studying her surroundings. Her hands were caked with dirt and dried blood, as were her clothing and speckled upon her chin. Try as he might Ian couldn't make out any sort of injury on her, which he concluded that the blood definetely wasn't hers. 

"Collete? Hey chick.. What's wrong?" Ian groaned, pulling himself to his knees. Collete shook her head quickly, meeting him with her amber eyes. "Collete? Come on.. Girl, c'mon, speak to me. Don't act all zombie now." 

"Th..Th-They killed her.." Collete whispered, tugging hard on her knees. "They killed Pickselle..." 

"They what?!" Ian nearly shouted. Collete jumped with a shrill cry and began to sob, burying her face in her arms. "No..No Collete I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout like that. But are you positive?" 

Collete nodded, wiping her nose with her sleeve. "They tried to take me." She whispered. "Pickselle wouldn't let them.. So they killed her.. She was outnumbered, Ian! I tried to help.. I tried.. But we were out numbered.." Collete sniffled, her sobs beginning to worsen. "So they killed her.. because she wouldn't..give up....Ian.." 

Nodding, Ian wrapped a tired arm around Collete's shoulder, pressing her cheek into his torso. Waiting until her tears lessened, ian whispered in her ear "Cole, where's Taelon?" 

She sniffled before pulling away, and resting her cheek on his shoulder. "They're finger printing him. They did the same to me and you when you were passed out. For identification records." She brought her amber colored eyes to his mis matched ones. "Ian, what are we gonna do?" 

Ian opened his mouth to speak before they were interrupted by two guards. They stepped in, their heavy boots clanking on the metal lined floor, towards the cowering teenagers. Collete looked up at them, her fear overwhelming her senses and making her clutch Ian's shirt uncomfortably. Ian shifted and pulled her hand free, taking it in his own and never taking his eyes off the two guards. The smaller of the pair, dressed in metal and blue silk, motioned towards Collete and commanded her to move away, while the larger guard grunted for Ian to do the same. Both teens stood up and brushed themselves off, with Ian standing infront of Collete. 

"What do you want?" Ian murmered, giving them an evil look. The smaller guard nodded before stepping towards Collete 

"Which one of you is Trepe?" He asked, looking at Collete first then Ian. Collete made a face, her nose scrunching up before she let out an exaggerated sigh. 

"Neither of us. I'm Dincht and this is Renzuka." She spoke, glancing from each guard's face. "And the other one is Leonhart. There's no Trepe here." 

The larger guard smirked under his helmet, glancing at a packet of files he held in is hand. "Alright then. You, " The burly man pointed to Ian. "Are Trepe. Ian Renzuka Trepe, last known residence Esthar. Social Security number 831-67-5427, height six foot even, blonde hair, blue and green eyes. Weight one seventy." The guard glanced Ian's body from toe to head and nodded. "Seems right. Might be a little less. But you are Ian Trepe." 

"Ian..Trepe?" Collete whispered, backing away. "You mean.. My father.. and mother.. They told me about.." Her hands went to her lips. "Oh Hyne, you mean you're-!" 

"Collete, shut up!" Ian growled, never taking his eyes off the guards. "What do you want with me?" 

"Commander Almasy wishes to talk to you.Her, on the other hand.." He lifted a metla clad arm to Collete. "She's free to go. Alng with Leonhart. Their parents are picking them up. But you, well you must have showed some guts boy because Commander Almasy wants to see you." 

Ian swallowed his tongue as the larger guard snaked a hand out and gripped his forearm painfully. The smaller guard took Collete's arm more gently and led her out of the cell alone, leaving Ian with the larger guard. As he was dragged towards the head office, Ian did something for the first time in years, something he never thought he would do again. 

Prayed. 

*****************  
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	9. Confrontation.

Confrontation 

**************** 

She was a beautiful, mature woman, even with her hair streaked with grey and her brown eyes clouded with age. Tirelessly she fought for the sake of the one child she had with her, and lost her life in the mean time. It would have been better this way, since it was illegal to prosecute minors in the state of Galbadia, when all of them were from different continents this one would have been put to death anyway. At least this way she died with honor, and pride. The aura of those same attributes still clung to her life less form, in her face and eyes, in the way she died with a subtle smile on her lips as she pushed the young girl she had at her side away from a cannon blast did she finally fall, sacrificing herself for the scared girl. The bright light of power escaping her form and traveling, into a supernova of descent did they realize that at once she was a sorceress, and thanked Hyne for their lives. 

Seifer flung the tarp over Pickselle's face again, and gave a silent prayer. She should never have fought back, he would have done all in his power to let her go free of any problems. Yet how was she supposed to know he was here, alive, and breathing? 

"Sir!" A soldier said, as she saluted her Commander. "We have yet to find out who recieved the passing of powers sir." 

Seifer waved her off with a flip of his hand. "Not now, Denora. Let me show a little respect here. Alright?" 

Denora sighed, confusion tinging her senses. Pulling off her helmet, she looked down at the dead woman on the table. "She is a pretty one. You know her?" 

Seifer nodded. "How did you know?" 

"Easy. you've never reacted to a cadaver like this before, until Martine died. You stared at him when he was on the tray for hours." She flipped back a long strand of platinum hair. "And you had the same weird look on your face. Like you lost a friend." 

"I did." Seifer scowled, stepping away from Pickselle's still form. "That woman's name is Pickselle Trest. For few moments.. she was my mother in law. Before that she taught me how to walk again. It's complicated, but you get the picture." 

"She looks about your age, Sir." Denoa whispered, gazing at Pickselle. "So how can she be..?" 

"Don't ask questions, Denora." Seifer growled in he direction. "Is that kid ready for questioning?" 

Denora nodded, saluting Seifer once again. "He has been for a while. The parents of the other two are on their way as well." 

"Fine." Seifer answered, facing her. "I don't wanna see them. Where's the kid at?" 

"Waiting room sir, upper deck." 

"Fine." With that, Seifer stepped past Denora, giving her a salute before disappearing around the corner into the halls. 

************ 

"Quistis, stop wriggling, dammit!" Zell shouted, shoving Quistis back into her seat. Ever since they boarded the Ragnarok, Quistis had been pacing around the floors, suppressing screams and the urge to slap someone until Zell strapped her down in her seat after a turbulance. At the moment she was yanking at the ties that bound her so she could continue her pacing. The clanking of her boots drove Zell crazy, so he wouldn't let her get up more than a few inchs from her seat, so she would wriggle around slightly, tapping her toes against the floor. 

"I can't help it Zell." Quistis grumbled. "My son is out there, somewhere!" 

"Well so is my daughter!" Zell bit back. "Rinoa and Squall's boy Taelon too. So of course we're all freakin' out about this, Amie nearly had a heart attack. Collete is my baby girl, Quisty so don't even go there." 

"They called you and Squall about Collete and Taelon." Quistis growled back. "But they said Ian was in containment. He could be hurt, or dead or something of that sort. Collete and Taelon are fine, they said, but Ian is being held in containment? What kind of bullshit is that?!" 

"Simple." Squall called from the pilot seat. "He's being questioned about something. That's what containment is. When we went to the D-District prison all those years ago, I was in containment while you all were in the cell. Remember?" 

Quistis' eyes widened in fear. "They could be torturing Ian?!" 

Squall's lack for an answer was answer enough. Quistis moaned and slid down her seat, her midn racing a hundred miles an hour. Ian wasn't called in with Collete and Taelon, and Pickselle was no where to be found. On the phone, the Galbadian army had revealed that there was only one casulty out of the four who ventured forward, but wouldn't reveal the identity. What if Ian was that casualty? Yet they said containment. Squall's containment was being strapped to a wall while they shot bolt after bolt of electricity through his body. Memeory served that his toes and fingertips were burnt and scarred horridly, only due to the fact that the leather and rubber combination he wore absorbed most of the shock. Ian never wore gloves, liking to feel the weight of her whip with his bare skin. If they were torturing him, and he didn't give in.. 

"We're here." Squall shouted over the roar of the landing engines. "Let's get going people!" 

Zell stood up and unstrapped Quistis from her seat. "You know? You can be a real pain sometimes Quisty." 

"Yeah well.." Quistis murmered, standing up. "I'd go to hell and back for my boy, Zell." 

A slight smirk crossed the blond man's face as he nodded. "Yep. You sure haven't changed." 

Quistis returned Zell's smile before running towards the cargo base, and pounded on the door until Squall released the hatch, and let her out like a caged animal after it's young. behind her Zell followed, along with Squall after he locked up the Ragnarok. Stepping foward, the guards at the head of the base held up their weapons infront of the door, giving the trio the once over and nodded, one stepping aside while the other stepped forward. Holding up a paper, he handed it to Squall and gave him a salute, eyeing him through the dark front of his helmet. 

"Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, please walk on in." He announced their arrival through an intercom. His arm snatched at Quistis', halting her in her tracks. "I'm sorry ma'am but you're not allowed." 

Quistis snarled at the guard, yanking her arm away. "My child is in there, and you have no tight to-" 

"She's my wife." Zell chimed in, glancing at Quistis with a warning. "Let's go, _Amie_, and get Collete." 

Quistis nodded, understanding sinking in as the guard let her walk along side with Zell, as he gripped her arm warningly. Anything to get her son back into her loving arms.. 

And rip him a new one. 

************* 

Ian was bored. 

Who knew being captured was so boring? 

Even with Commander Almasy right infront of him, walking and pacing in large steps was unerving enough, Ian had just grown accustomed to it. It was easy. All the guy did was pace and look at him every few seconds, pace some more, look, pace. Just what on earth was going on here? Pace, look, it was boring. Action was fun. This wasn't. Groaning, Ian sank low into his seat and let his eyes trail towards a window, eyeing what seemed to be a torture device. If he could just run out of the room, strap himself in and beg for full power, things might get more interesting... 

"I don't believe this." The Commander muttered. "You're a Trepe?" 

"Yeah." Ian said, grateful for some sort of conversation. "I am." 

"Now tell me now, boy." Seifer growled. "Are you in any relation to Angustus trepe?" 

Ian blinked and shook his head. "Who's that?" 

Seifer shook his head, and leaned on his desk. "No one, oviously. Just.. Why did you register at Garden under the name Renzuka?" 

"What is this, the tenth degree?" Ian grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Can I leave now? Please?" 

"No." 

"Why the hell not?!" Ian shouted, standing up. "You let Collete and Taelon go! Why the hell am I here?!" 

Seifer got right into Ian's face, his hot breath sweltering Ian's nose. "I wanna know where you get off calling yourself Trepe! If you're not a Trepe then who are you?" 

"I'm Ian. Renzuka. Trepe. That's all you need to know, Seifer!" 

Another slap to ian's face, and the boy sprawled backwards, into the chair he formally occupied. "How the fuck do you know my name? No one but the Galbadian Army does. Who are you? And why are you a Trepe?!" 

Ian spat into the ground, noticing a tiny droplet of blood staining the metal red. "I saw your picture..." 

"Excuse me?" Seifer muttered, staring hard at Ian. "Repeat yourself, boy." 

Ian glared up at Seifer, his mismatched eyes seemingly sparking flames. "I saw your picture in my uncle's photo album. He put a name to the face. How fucking hard is that?" 

"Photo album? Who's your uncle?" Seifer demanded, slamming a fist into his desk. 

"None of your damned business!" Ian shouted, standing up again. "Who gives a shit if I know you're Seifer Almasy and I've got my mom's last name! I don't care! Let me fucking go!" 

Seifer slowly shook his head, realization dawning into him. Running a hand through his long hair, he stepped back and rethought the young boy's words. Mother's last name? Pictures? Only Squall and the rest of the gang had pictures of him. These days he refused to be infront of a camera at all, unless totally unoptional. So, then this boy had to have seen pictures form long ago, when he was whole and Quistis was with him, taking every step along the way.. 

Quistis. 

"Quistis.." Seifer murmered. Ian perked up slightly and stared at the older man. 

"What?" 

"Nothing." Seifer grumbled. "Look. We both don't want to be here. Your last name is of someone I thought very dear to me a long time ago. There, I told you why. I'm sorry for keeping you here. You can go now. Give me your parent's names and I'll give them a call." 

Ian shook his head. "I can't tell you." 

"Why not?" 

"Because.. I don't.." He gazed up at Seifer, his mis matched eyes broken. "I just can't.. Okay?" 

Seifer shook his head slowly, Not trusitng himself to say a word. Afraid of telling his parent's names? Was he an orphan? Ashamed? This incident wouldn't go unnoticed. Garden most likely would either punish him enough, and since he was a ward of theirs it wasn't right for the parents to do anything to the boy. Another glance at him, and Seifer took not of how he sat. His knees were drawn to his chest, his chin resting on top. He was afraid? Of what? Fear shouldn't be an aspect of an up and coming SeeD. At least not for this one. Glancing away, the boy's face burned into his memory. He looked exactly like her, down to his one blue eye. Was he wondering just why he was here? What exactly was going on inside the kid's head at this moment? 

Fear. It urged though his pores like sweat. Yet for some reason, it couldn't be because of Seifer himself. Ian was hiding something, something Seifer was afraid to know. 

"You can go." Seifer murmered. Ian looked up at him, his mis matched eyes wide. "I said, you can go." 

"What? That's it?" Ian asked, confusion setting in. "You drag me here, bitch me out, and then send me off to the prairie with out so much as a damned explanation!?" Standing to his feet, Ian's blood raged with the anger he felt tearing at his insides. "I don't get it! What the hell is with you-" 

Ian was interrupted by a buzzing sound, as Seifer's features softened slightly. Pressing a button he spoke into the reciever, hearing Denora's answer of a woman asking for her son. Pressing the button again, Seifer asked for a few minutes to prepare before sending the woman in. At least now, one question would be answered. 

******************* 

"DADDY!" Collete shouted, running from her chair into Zell's waiting arms. Never more a beautiful sight had ever occured in Zell's eyes than to see his daughter, happy and joyous running from a certain death into Zell's embrace. Wrapping his strong arms around Collete's body, Zell's face drizzled slightly with tears of relief as he hugged his little girl hard, like he had done so long ago when she was a child. It had been years since she allowed him to hold her like this, and he was mildly shocked when she let him slip his arms under her legs and carry her close, her own arms wrapping stronger around Zell's neck. Slight whimpers from Collete's tear stained face and throat worried her father, but he pushed it aside, just happy enough to let her be alive. 

"Where's Taelon?" Squall asked, his voice full of worry. He turned to Collete and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Cole, where are the others?" 

Collete shook her head slowly, pointing to the office. "I-Ian is there.." She whispered, and then pointed to another cell. "Tae's in there. You h-have to show the g-g-uard some confirmation." 

Squall nodded and stepped towards the cell, holding up his pass "I'm here for Taelon Leonhart. Squall Leonhart, Headmaster of Balamb Garden." 

The guard looked at it and nodded, stepping aside and rapping on the door. The metal slide apart, and out stepped a very disorientated Taelon, his eyes unaccustomed to the light. Blinking back pained tears, Taelong stumbled outwards, his arms forward on the wall until he felt a pair of strong hands steady and support him. Looking above him, Taelon frowned when he saw a sight that was somewhat similar to his father, with a mix of his mother, and another mix of something from the Black Lagoon. 

"Dad?" Taelon squeeked out, feeling around Squall's jacket. "Why are you wearing this old thing?" 

Squall shook his head, unable to suppress a smile that came to his lips. "It was all I could find.. Taelon, are you alright? Where's everyone else?" 

"I'm fine.. except I can't see too good.." He squinted upwards at Quistis, who had just come forward holding a file in her hands. "Uncle Zell? When did you lose all that weight?" 

Blinking back surprise, Quistis shook her head. "No, I'm not Zell. My name is Quistis Trepe, I'm here for Ian. Do you know where he is?" 

Taelon shook his head in wonder, peering at her closer. "Wow, you're Ian's mom? _The_ Quistis Trepe? Awesome, I never knew I'd be in the presense of a living legend like yourself." Taelon thrust out a hand towards Zell. "Wonderful to meet you Miss Trepe." 

Quistis quietly excused herself, stepping towards the office. The guard took her by the arm and lead her the way, announcing into his radio to the commander that he had a guest. Zell blinked a few times before pulling Collete up closer and more secure in his arms. "Tch, Tae, what they do to ya man?" 

The guard stepped forward, giving Taelon the once over. "He got hit in the head by accident, Mister Leonhart. He resisted arrest, and we had to knock him out. He's been checked over by the hospital staff and presumed fine, his eye sight should be well within a few days." 

Squall nodded, pulling Taelon into his arms. Lookin up at Zell, he whispered. "Can I take Cole and you take Tae?" 

Zell nodded, gingerly handing the light weight of his daughter over. Collete had long since gone into a deep slumber brought on by her tiring sobs, as Zell gingerly picked up Taelon in his strong arms. Taelon shrieked like a banshee before Squall hushed him up, telling him he wouldn't be able to see well enough to walk, and Zell groaned. This was going to be a long day of punishment, and SeeD instructing. 

Reaching over to push Collete's hair behind her ear, Zell let a smile drift to his lips. At least they still had their children to punish. 

********************** 

She never looked so beautiful in his eyes until that moment. 

The light rapping on the door that he opened, and ther eshe was, her hand perplexed and still in the air, her sapphire tinted eyes meeting with his emerald gems. His gazed trailed along the soft line of the scar that crossed her face, faded by time but still noticable. Her hair, once a deep honey gold now a bit lighter and her face lined with just a few droplets from the water of age, with a wrinkle here, laugh lines there, yet still sleek and smooth as the day they were wed. Beautiful. Still absolutely beautiful. A tight pain clinched at his heart and soul, drawing them into one and seemingly offering to her, and fear that she wouldn't take. He knew something was up. The look on her face, the shock, was evident enough. 

"Dear Hyne.." She whispered, staring into his face. "You're.." 

"What, Quistis?" Seifer scowled, sneering down at her. "Alive? In the army? What? Just fucking what?" 

Quistis shook her head slowly, looking past him at her son. "Ian!" She cried, pushing Seifer aside into the office. 

"Mom? MOM!" Ian shouted, jumping to his feet and wrapping his arms around her. She held him tightly, stiffling a relieved cry at seeing him well and in one piece, and then pulled away, gazing over his body. The smile on her face wiped off quickly and she slapped ian on the back side of his head, with teh younger boy cowering. "Mom, owww..! Why'd you do that!?" 

"The hell! Like you don't know! Galavalanting from Dollet like that, no note, nothing, me worried sick for weeks!" Quistis shouted angrily, while Ian cowered in fear. "Taking my whip, well I don't care about that as long as you're safe, but now that you are safe your ass is grass young man! Don't you ever do this again! How could you worry me and your Uncle Laguna and Aunt Ellone like this?!" 

"Mom.. come on.." Ian grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "I know you didn't want me to go to Garden, but I had to. I had to find out about who my father was. You wouldn't tell me because all the subject ever did was make you cry, so I had to find out." Ian's face burned red at that moment, his teeth gritting. "Look, Mom I'm sorry. Okay? I am. But you can't keep the damned truth from me forever. You should have known that." 

"I would have told you when the time was right." Quistis hissed. Reaching upwards, she grabbed Ian by the shoulders and began to push him towards the door. "Now out, go find Sq-" 

"Mom, stop it!" Ian shouted, pushing her away a bit roughly. "The time was right when I first asked you. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, the damned second I asked. Why didn't you tell me he was a sorceress' lap dog? I could have taken it. It woulda been fine. But you just didn't fucking trust me enough to-" 

"Ian!" Quistis screamed. "Watch your mouth! Now get outside." Ian opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by Quistis hand cupping over his lips. "Now." 

Sulking, Ian nodded stiffly and steped towards the door, feeling inside his pants. Pulling out a half empty pack of cigarettes, he waited until he was near the door to light one, and inhale a deep breath. Cool it, he told himself, Cool it. So, you just saw your father, the man who was never there for you, and you thought dead since before you were born. No biggie. Happens every day. Or at least every other day. Another drag off the butt of the stick and Ian let it out in a haggard breath. Gazing upwards, Ian let his hands out in a forlorn expression, and mumbled "Hyne? Are you there Hyne? Then answer me one thing. Why me? Why not someone else?" 

"Why not?" A deep voice behind him asked. Standing up, Ian came eye to eye with Zell Dincht, who was holding Taelon over his shoulder and Squall Leonhart, who was carrying a sleeping Collete in his arms. "You're smoking." 

"..Yeah." Ian's eyes narrowed as he gestured to Collete and Taelon. "How're they?" 

"Fine. But don't come to me when you're coughing up a lung." Gingerly, Zell shook Taelon awake and set the young boy on his feet, and Squall took his hand. Whispering, he led his son while carrying Zell's daughter back to the Ragnarok. Nodding as they made it safely, Zell turned to Ian and planted a large hand on the young boy's shoulder. "You okay?" 

"I will be." Ian scratched the back of his head, his hair falling into his eyes. "Mom's mad though." 

"Of course she'd be. Quistis is a fire filled pixie when she wants to be. And now, she wants to be." Zell sat down next to Ian on the steps, looking out across the plains. "Why did you come here anyway?" 

"I wanted to find out about my father." Ian stated simply, pulling another drag. "She wouldn't tell me anything, and when I brought it up all she'd do is cry." 

Zell nodded, tilting his head to crack his neck with loud pops. "Oh yeah. Well hey he's dead. He died to save all of us, ya know that?" 

"No.." Ian lied. "I didn't." 

"Hey. Zell said, leaning back on the stair case. "I'll tell you about your father if you do one thing for me, okay?" 

Ian's eyes glowed hopeful. "Sure! What's up?" 

"Put that damned cancer stick out already!" Zell nearly shouted, fanning the brimming smoke awya from his face. "You wanna kill everyone else around ya to? Man..." 

**************** 

Seifer stepped away from her, and poured a cup from the water cooler. Sipping from it, he glanced around his office and noticed things he never had before. A chipping in the paint by the door frame. A crack in the wall right behind his desk. A slight tear in the leather seat of his chair. Just little things someone doesn't usually notice unless trying to find something else to look at beside your wife. Even more so when you never once thought you'd lay eyes on her again, or even want to. 

"So." He whispered, sipping from his cup. "You want something to drink?" 

"Is that all you can say?" Quistis growled, lacing her arms across her stomach. "You've been alive all this time, never tried to contact us, and that's all you can say?!" 

Seifer crumpled up the paper cup and tossed it into the waste basket. "Well what do you want me to say? Hello, dear, how are you? Oh, I'm doing fine. I'm so glad you've decided to have a kid. How sweet!" Shaking his head, Seifer turned his back to her. "It doesn't matter. You're free to go. Everything was one big miss understanding." 

"Miss understanding? Seifer, you're alive!" Quistis's voice became a shrill shriek. "Alive, yet you've never once tried to contact us, or anything? Why? Why haven't you-" 

"Just shut the hell up, Quistis." Seifer growled, turning sharply to look at her. "Shut up right now. You wanna know why I didn't go running back to Garden? Because you, Garden, and everyone else let me _die_. Instead of actually taking ten seconds out of your busy schedule of attempting to save your own hides, left me behind to listen..to just bloody listen to your father..." 

"Seifer.." Quistis murmered. "We had to evacuate. The ship was going down, and when we saw you fall.." 

"What, you thought we were both dead? Come on, Quisty." Seifer growled. "You could have either come and checked or at least gone back later. You didn't do it. I almost fucking starved to death until Martine came." 

"Martine..?" Quistis whispered, stepping closer. "He.. died a few years ago." 

"And I got his rank." Seifer turned away from her then, and waved with his hand. "Look. We both have work to do. You've got a son to raise, punish, whatever. I have an army to run. We'll talk another time, if I ever see you again. Alright?" 

"Seifer, no." Quistis said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We need to talk.. I.. I-I don't know exactly what's going on. I mean... Hyne, you're here.." She squeezed his shoulder gently, looking into his eyes. "It's.. Like a dream, Seifer." 

"Look." Seifer growled, shoving Quistis' hand off his shoulder roughly. "It doesn't matter. We can talk some other weekend, some other month, some other damned decade, it wouldn't matter. It wouldn't change a damned thing about how I feel about you." 

"And how do you feel?" 

Seifer shook his head slowly. "I don't know. You left me behind, Quisty. It's..." 

"Like a dream?" Quistis spoke up, pulling her arms around her waist. "Like it shouldn't be, either too good to be true, or you're not supposed to be here? Or me?" She tilted her head to the side, long golden strands brushing her cheek. "I know Seifer. I feel it too." 

"You seem too calm to be." He murmered, looking away. 

A slight upturn of her mouth melted his insides. "I'm afraid if I act overjoyed you're going to disappear." Her chest heaved with a pent up sob. "If I cry you're going to somehow go away again. If I touch you.." 

"Commander Almasy!" A young cadet ran into the office, slamming the door behind him. "Saigon Seagil stepped on a land mine. He's in the Infirmary ward, sir, and wishs to speak with you!" The young man leaned down and squeezed his knees, his face red from lack of air. "His leg's been saved, but he's in critical condition. He needs to speak with you now, sir." 

Seifer groaned and nodded, saluting the cadet and dismissing him. Turning to Quistis he pinned her down with his emerald gaze and parted his lips softly to speak, picking up a card and writing on it's back. "I have to go. We'll talk later. I promise this. But please, just tell me one thing?" He asked, handing her a card scribbled with his number. 

"Anything." She said, gazing to the ground. 

"He's mine.. isn't he?" 

Quistis parted her lips, and felt the corners of her mouth turn slightly upwards. With a slight nod, Seifer grinned despite his torn feelings and saluted her out of habit. Stepping towards the door, he looked back for the last time at her unmoving form and whispered 'Call me' before leaving towards the Infirmary, leaving Quistis behind with her thoughts. Running down the halls, Seifer tried to suppress the one feeling he had vowed not to feel ever around her, or someone like her again. 

Hope. 

_Revenge is such an ugly word.. and ufly is not something I would interpret to her. They do not mix, one is light one is dark. Revenge is sweet, and she is tart. Can't mix them in any way. Can't. Just can't. _

*********************   
Whoo.. this chapter was hard... Thank you for reading! Now review! :) Pwease?


	10. Friend.

Friend. 

*********** 

Gabrian pulled a loose strand of black hair off his shirt, and concluded that indeed he was either stressed out or shedding. More then likely the first option since he was in fact not a golden retriever. Giselle has talked non stop lately about the new kid, how he was, how he acted. Her sister Collete had gone on the SeeD mission, and they were to be announced soon. Being a SeeD himself already, Gabrian had it somewhat easy around here. As the son of the Garden master and Garden master's wife, all he had to do was keep a pretty face. No matter what, you could like him, or you could hate him, either way you just had to love him. At least thats how it was. 

Until that new kid.. 

Snarling, Gabrian shook his head slowly. His sister had a class with him, and when he hounded her for info all Contess would tell him was 'Ask him yourself.' The second he saw the guy he should have been suspicious. Something about the guy just wasn't right. Maybe it was because he was from Esthar, or maybe it was because of his eyes. Of the way his hair was cut, or not cut to be exact. Some lousy punk like style, except it hung down straight and sided his face that seemed to drive a few of the girls crazy over him. It was disgusting. Sometimes he would even catch Contess wishing she was a bit younger, or wishing that her morals of 'only dating an older guy' were somehow vanquished. No matter what happens though, nothing will ever shove Gabrian from his place as top dog in this Garden. 

Speak of the devil, Gabrian sneered. Ian was walking along with an older woman at his side, who was actually quite pretty. She looked vaguely familiar, though, with the way she chided over him angrily Gabrian immediately assumed she had to be either his mother, or parental guardian. Obviously she wasn't too thrilled about the botched mission. Problems ensued after that field test, and they lost part time instructor Pickselle Trest to it. Apparently no one had any idea that Galbadia was there protecting major ground, and that they weren't the potential enemy. They fought back merely just protecting their territory, even if the young cadets were specifically told to uphold and take out their high commander. Higher powers were at work during that time, and no one even knew it. 

"Mom, it's okay. I understand. He knows who I am now, right?" Gabrian heard Ian speak to the woman, who he confirmed was infact his mother. "I don't know what to say. It's weird. I thought he was dead. You _told_ me he was dead." 

"Ian, I know. I'm sorry. But you should never have run off like that." She muttered, throwing back her long golden hair. "I know this may come as a shock to you, but it was surprising for me also. I didn't know he was alive either Ian." 

"This is just too much, Mom. Too much. First he's dead, and now he kills my Instructor.." 

The blonde woman's face pained at the notion, along with a curt nod. Just by that notion Gabrian saw through her shell. She was hiding something. "Ian, just let it go for now. We have to wait for the Garden teacher to announce your ranks." 

Ian shook his head slowly. "I don't care about rank Mom. I don't really. It's just a pain in the ass. Not something some people go through every day, knowing your dead father is actually alive." Stepping to the wall, Ian leaned his back to it and ran a hand through his hair. "Please tell me you didn't know about this?" 

Quistis shook her head slowly, standing before Ian in a defiant gesture. "I didn't. I had no plausible clue about this Ian, or you would have been told." 

"For some reason I don't think so." Ian mumbled. before Quistis could speak loud clanking of hard soled shoes hit the glass floors, as a cloaked Garden teacher, head of the faculty decended towards them. Holding a clip board, he drifted his cold eyes to Quistis and frowned slightly before drifting them towards the clipboard clasped tightly in his hands. 

"When I call your name, please step forward and go to the Headmaster's office. Taelon Leonhart." 

Taelon looked up from his brooding position and blinked. Nodding slightly, he gazed around himself nervously, before decending towards the office of the Headmaster. The Garden faculty member watched as the nervous young man's steps stopped at the elevator, and he turned around and waited for the rest who would accompany him. Speaking again in a strong voice, the Faculty member adressed the crowd once more, and spoke the name of Collete Dincht and Ian Renzuka as the last two who graduated, ans the cries of anger and resentment were heard as soon as they stepped away. Gabrian scowled at Ian's retreating form and shook his head slowly. The kid fucked up. How the hell did he make it? 

"...Good job, Ian." Quistis murmered, her face cold and withered slightly. "I always knew you were something..." 

"What, special?" Ian mumbled. "No biggie.." 

"No, it is a big deal. Your father failed numerous tests before he-" 

"Hey, Renzuka!" Gabrian called out, stepping towards him. "I see you passed the field exam." 

Ian noded slowly, eyeing Gabrian harshly. "Yeah. So what?" 

"Well.." Gabrian smirked. "I'm jsut gonna ask, but hey, what Instructor are you screwing? I mean, the field mission went horribly wrong, and your whole group got captured.." 

"So what?" Ian growled, stepping towards the older boy. "I did what I was supposed to do, worked through the books. It's not my fault that we-" 

"Lost an instructor, got captured. I still wonder how you got away s scot free." Gabrian's smile faded slightly, and his fists clenched at his sides. "Well? How did you get off so easy? How come you and the others are SeeDs now?!" 

"Get the hell outta my face, Gabe." Ian growled, his looks dangerous. "Or go right on ahead and keep poking me, and get squashed like a pancake." 

"Enough you two!" The faculty growled, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Stop it. Both of you! One more word out of either of you and you'll both be reprimended., Is that clear?" 

Gabrian stiffly nodded, never taking his cold glare from Ian. "You're gonna get it, Fresh." 

"Enough!" The faculty nearly shouted, grabbing Ian by the back of his collar. "Just for that I shall inform your mother and father of your actions, Gabrian!" 

"Go to Hell!" Gabrian shrieked, his voice high and shrill. "All of you! You pass idiots like this? They screwed up! They shouldn't have made SeeD at all!" 

The Garden Faculty member growled somethng into Gabrian's ear, and the boy calmed down immensly, pulling away and nodding. Flashing Ian a cold glare, and nodded stiffly. Growling, he stomped off towards the elevator, casting one last glance at Ian and mouthing the words "You'll pay for that" before decending the Elevator to the third floor. Quistis opened her mouth to speak until a shrill cry sounded, and towards them came running a pair of pretty, auburn haired twin girls. One of them Quistis recognized as Collete Dincht, Zell's daughter from the prison, the other she assumed to be Giselle. 

"Ian, we just saw." Collete said breathfully. "You alright?" 

"Of course he is." Giselle grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "But poor Gabe! He's probably in for it now." 

"Screw Gabrian!" Collete growled at her twin. "He's just a big mouthed loser with no life except to make things impossible for everyone else. I can't believe you're dating him" 

"So what are you saying, Collete?" 

"I'm saying your boyfriend sucks, and probably you on a saturday night too, Giselle." 

"Hey, stop it you two!" Quistis shouted at them. "Don't do something you might regret. This is a school, a peaceful school, not a fighting ground. Take it to the training center." 

Collete nodded while Giselle shook her head blandly at Quistis. "I don't get you. Who're you?" She asked, her voice tart. "I've never seen you around here." 

A slap form her twin sister on the arm and Giselle shrieked. "Stupid!" Collete hissed. "That's Ian's mom!" 

"His mom? Oh." Giselle held out a hand towards Quistis, giving her a strained smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Renzuka." 

"Trepe." Quistis mumbled, taking Giselle's hand in her own. "My name is Trepe." 

Giselle frowned slightly, a line slashing between her blue eyes. "Trepe?" She asked, slightly confused. "My mom an' dad got married with a couple, and the woman's name was Trepe..wait..Wait.." Giselle's eyes went wide, and she trailed her gaze to Quistis' face and hair. "I recognize you! You're Quistis trepe! Oh my Hyne you married-!" 

"Giselle, shut up!" Collete shouted angrily, stomping her foot into the ground. "Hyne, you've got a huge mouth. I'm sorry Miss Trepe. My sister's only fathomable knowledge of any brain activity is the same as a lima bean." 

"What?" Giselle asked dumbly, blinking a few times before sapphire raged interrupted her features. "What did you say?!" 

"Nevermind." Collete growled. "Go on, resume your lapdog stance, okay? Gabrian needs his widdle bitch." 

Giselle grumbled something under ehr breath before turning on a prim heel and stalking towards the elevator, exiting the floor. Gabiran Kramer was the Garden Master's kid, of course he'd be let off the hook no matter what he did. It's a shame, but how else would he make SeeD? Gabrian reminded Quistis a lot of Seifer, his disposition and anger, except a lot more cocky then Seifer was. Turning to her her son, she was perplexed as he shook his head dumbly while facing Collete, and frowned at her features. Something was a bit different, some how, and upon closer inspection he realized what was bugging him. 

"Hey, Cole, umm.." 

Collete scowled up at him. "What?" 

"Don't you have amber eyes?" Ian asked, his voice low. "I could have sworn you did.. and Giselle had brown." 

Collete grinned, looking impishly pretty. "Oh. Yeah, hehe. I've got blue eyes, and I don't have my contacts in right now. I really do only have blue eyes, sorry Ian." 

"Nah, don't apologize." Ian grinned. "Blue eyes are the best. Really pretty, in every way you know?" 

Collete gave Ian a shy smile and gazed towards the ground, her face growing slightly red. "Don't make me hit you!" She said, her voice shrill and sweet. "Geez.. well.." 

"Ian,"Quistis whispered, smiling warmly at her son. "You and I will talk tomorrow.. Okay? I gave Youngju, Nida, and everyone else a call. They'll be here with me to talk.. alright?" 

"Yeah mom." Ian murmered, prying his eyes away from Collete. "But why tomorrow?" 

Quistis smiled sweetly, and then looked towards Collete. "Tonight is the SeeD ball, the celebration for those who graduated. Since you graduated, that's where you're going." 

Ian's face scrunched up in an up and coming whine. "Aww Mom, do I have to!?" 

"Yes, Ian, you have to wear a scratchy get up and celebrate." Quistis replied dumbly. "Now hush up and go get ready. I'm.. proud of you Ian." 

He noticed the hesitation in his mother's voice, but brushed it off for fear of another angry wrath. Slim fingers wrapped around his forearm as Collete dragged him away towards the elevator and towards the dorm, in preparation for the SeeD ball to celebrate their achievement. A last look back at his mother's despondant face, her stance, and the way she gazed anywhere except at him caused Ian to pang with guilt over his actions. All he wanted to do was find out more about his father, his past, and how the Trepe and Almasy name was connected to this easter egg like structure, yet all he succeeded in now was upsetting his mother, worrying the hell out of his favorite 'aunt' and 'uncle', and making a mockery of what they stood for. All he wanted to do was just fine out about his father with out his bringing Quistis to tears. Well, if she didn't cry then, she'd surely cry later. 

Ian entered his room, asking for Collete to pick him up after he'd have a quick nap to think over the events. Quistis needed to talk to him, but about what? Of course, don't be dense man. Seifer. He's supposed to be dead not.. Well, the way he was, which was alive. This just couldn't be happening, Ian grimaced, rolling onto his side. Too much to think about, and not enough damned time.. 

********************** 

"If I may be blunt, sir," Denora whispered. "You look incredible." 

A sly smile perched on Seifer's lips as he watched himself in the mirror, checking every angle to see if each place was in complete perfection. Black long overcoat topped with a white shirt, simple string tie and dark slacks completed his outfit, down to the shiny buffed shoes and apparently perfect portrayal of a man about ready to go to town. For once, he let his straight blonde hair down, letting the golden strands trail across his shoulders and back, flashing beautifully in what little light that was available. Denora had helped him pick out this set of clothing, matching it to his features perfectly and even found the best pair of shoes to finish the job. When she had heard he was thinking of going, Denora immediately opted to help him dress for the occasion, after he had rung up the chool and given them the progress report of the young cadets who had ventured here and told them of their reactions, and also he was informed that only three had actually passed, those who were captured. Seifer wanted to go, of course, to silently watch the young boy he questioned dance the night away on the arm of some lovely young woman, and had recieved permission to as well. Yet now, all he felt like was a Barbie doll, being dressed up until finally fhe felt like Ken. 

"Yeah. I do look pretty good don't I?" 

Denora snorted, which brought a chuckle to Seifer's throat. "Oh, Denora, I gotta tell you. I'm going to be taking a few weeks off affective tomorrow." 

"What?" She questioned, stepping forward. "Is there something wrong, Sir?" 

Seifer shook his head slightly, bringing his piercing gaze to hers. "No. Nothing really. Just a few personal matters I have to tie up. With that kid who I questioned and his mother. It's going to be a while before I actually get things straightened out and pay my respects about the dead Instructor, you know." 

Denora nodded her head, giving Seifer the salute. "Yes sir. Who'll be taking your place as commander while you're gone?" 

"I was thinking Commander Dargine, or maybe Commander Liham. I'm not entirely sure yet." Seifer pulled the string tie off, and rearranged it on his neck. "Maybe even you. You're not so green anymore, are you Denora?" 

A supressed smile came upon her features. "No sir. I've been with the army for over five years now." 

Seifer nodded slowly, tilting his head to the side. "That's true. So. How would you feel about being in charge?" 

Denora smiled widely then, nodding her head eagerly. "I'd like that very much sir! Thank you!" 

"Don't mention it. You'll hate me by the time I come back, which I think won't be for a while." Pulling the string tie off, Seifer grunted and tossed it to the side, seemingly not interested in the cowboy like look. Picking up a sash and a clasp, he stationed the fabric across his chest and clipped it to his belt, holding it firmly in place under his jacket. Looking into the mirror, Seifer pulled his hair back loosly into a pony tail, allowing a few locks fall childishly around his face. It gave him a younger glow, he noticed, even hid some of the lines that had grown in his features through out the years. Such a small notion, even so slight can take the years off a man's face from sight and let him relive being young again. 

Maybe. 

"Well, Denora, take care of the troups." Seifer mumbled, pulling his jacket closely around his broad shoulders. "I'm off." 

Extending a hand to the young woman, he shook hers in his own and gave a salute before stepping out of the room and plucking his Cell phone from his pocket. 

No one should know the real reason he was going. Paying respects his ass. Not that he didn't care about Pickselle, he did. He truely did. In the past, maybe, yet that was the word. The past. It was the future now, and who was in his? 

Ian. Obviously. 

Ian Trepe, why didn't she give him the last name Almasy? It was hers as well, even if their married life together was so short and stopped so suddenly. Maybe she didn't want to cause a ruckus when he would join Garden, yet even then he was issued as Renzuka. Renzuka, Renzuka.. nice name. Where did she get it from? Maybe in her travels. Either way, it fit the boy pretty well, and so did Trepe. Almasy, Ian Almasy.. No. 

Quistis Almasy. That was beautiful too. Just like, a wafting breeze so fleeting you yearn to touch it and create it your own. She was gorgeous, even after all these years and still he could see the woman he married in her face. How scared she was, yet some how exhilerated and how she kept her arms over her midsection while looking up at him with the same blue glimmer in her eyes. Hope. Hope, but for what? Even he couldn't deny how he felt when he saw her. Seventeen years of pain and anger towards those who should have been his best friends, all washed away by a buried love and longing that the woman he married bore him a son. A son, even after they had lost their daughter to a wayward student who's obscessions carried far beyond those of the line of sanity. Yet he still couldn't deny he still loved her. Loved her enough to.. 

...to what? 

Shaking the notions out of his head, Seifer scurried towards his means of transportation, a newly designed plane made from parts of the Eclipse. The reconstructure of this two seater was hard work, taking up mostly three year to create but it still was the fastest on the market. Hell, it even had a name which Seifer never realized until the second he stepped into it's compartment just how much it meant to him. 

Fire Pixie. 

******************************* 

"This stupid suit itches." Ian growled, once again shifting his body towards the corner of the ball room and sliding a hand under his coat. "I hate dressing up, dammit." 

Taelon smirked, and sipped from his glass. Of course someone like Ian wouldn't appreciate things like this. A celebration for a job well done, of exhileration and even if a few minor problems surfaced, still, everything deemed out just the way they wanted it to be. The loss if Pickselle Trest didn't go unnoticed though, and their SeeD rank was untimely low, but they made it. It would just take at least a year and a lot of written tests to decend the steps towards a decent rank, but it was worth it. Every step of the way, worth it. The ball was decorated beautifully in golds and greens with the just the right ammount of blue hues, adorned with golden glitter and lights shining through the glass roof. Every reflection seemed to bounce off another ray of light, and escalating on the band of SeeDs and new SeeDs, while music toyed with their ears and smiled perched upon their lips. 

"Ain't so bad man. I'm singing tonight with the band. Didja know that?" Taelon spoke, gazing over everyone. "Yeah. I guess they ddn't want to wait for the Garden festival." 

Ian turned around, zipping up his pants. "No one saw me right?" 

"Probably not. Maybe a few of the guys but they won't give you any hassles. Hopefully." Taelon grinned. "But you scratch yourself in public that's what you're gonna have to deal with." 

"Shuttup man." Ian growled. "It's itchy in this damned thing." 

"Whatever." 

"So when are you getting up and singing?" Ian asked, straightening his clothing. "Love to hear this low alto you brag about man." 

"As soon as I have one dance." Taelon murmered, dropping his face to the floor. "Especially with.." 

"With who?" Ian asked, willign his hand to keep from snaking inside his jacket again. "Aww, Taelon's got a crush!" 

Taelon's grin widened. "With Angie Zaback. She didn't make SeeD but she came here anyway, she's really cool and pretty. Everything a guy like me could hope for, but doesn't get." 

"Dude, you are too down on yourself." Ian grinned, slapping Taelon's shoulder lightly. "Just go and ask...her.." 

"Yo? Ian? What's up?" Taelon asked, glaring at Ian hard. "Hey! Ian!" 

"Shhh! Hush up man! Look!" Ian cowered into a corner, hiding behind the crowd of onlookers. Taelon frowned and gazed past their heads, and found what Ian was getting very fearful at. 

He walked in like he owned the place, scowling around the ballroom in every direction. Dressed to kill in high priced designer clothing, Seifer Almasy glanced from face to face as a few of the girls stopped dancing and gazed at him, and some of the guys frowned. None of them were the person, or persons he was looking for, so he decided to mingle with the crowd for a bit, breathe in the familiar nostalgia. Except they seemed to part like the red sea at his arrival, quickly disbanding away like wraiths to allow him passage to walk through. Slowly the crowd reformed to normal, with each of the patrons dancing the night away, joking around, and speaking amongst one another. Taelon sipped the rest of his drink down and took a refil from the passing by waitress and continued to down it like before, in large gulps. Catching Seifer's eyes with his own, his heart froze for a moment as the older man walked towards him, steadily, his form brooding and dark. Behind him, Taelon felt Ian shift his position to face away, instead opting to gaze out of the large glass structure infront of him. 

"Excuse me." Seifer muttered towards Taelon. "Can I ask your friend there for some information?" 

"Taelon doesn't speak for me. I can talk, you know." Ian growled, not daring to face the Commander. "What the hell do you want?" 

Seifer stiffened visibly, his emerald eyes narrowing down. "Your mother and I need to talk. Where is she?" 

"Don't go near my mother!" Ian shrieked loud enough for a few people around him to turn and stare. "Don't you dare! You weren't there for her when she needed you! It was only me, and her. No Daddy around!" 

Seifer reeled slightly, the stinging slap of Ian's shouts hitting the core. "Look, Ian. I couldn't help it. Alright? I was stuck underwater for six weeks, and your mother left _ME_ behind! She thought I was dead, alright? Dead." 

"Shame you weren't." Ian growled at him. 

"Yeah, fucking shame. I need to talk to Quistis, Ian. Now." Seifer growled, stepping eye to eye with his son. "Where is she?" 

Heavy foot steps behind him sounded, as a man in a uniform slapped a strong palm on Seifer's shoulder. Spinning around, Seifer growled a curse as he came face to face with angry hazel eyes and a sneering grin. Long auburn strands brushed the man's forehead and fire danced in his veins at the sight of Seifer practically bullying Ian for information about his mother. Yanking his shoulder back Seifer scowled into the man's face and growled at him "What do you want?" 

"I want you to leave the boy alone!" He shouted, drawing attention from the crowd behind him but not caring. "And what do you want with Quistis?" 

"None of your business!" Seifer growled, stepping forward. "This is just a personal matter, you have nothing to do with this." 

"The hell I don't, you're harassing my girlfriend's son!" 

"I don't.. Your what?" 

Ian grumbled and stepped closer, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Ordin, man, chill out. It's alright. This guy is.." He coughed low, and brought his eyes to the floor. "This guy.. he's sorta my father." 

Ordin's face grew lined, a frown encasing his features. Letting go of Seifer's arm, Ordin blinked his hazel eyes and stepped backwards, gazing at Ian. "Isn't he supposed to be dead?" 

"Yeah, I am." Seifer growled, glaring at Ordin. "What do you mean by your girlfriend's son?" 

"I mean, that Ian is my girlfriends' son." Ordin said, the shock still not fading. "Seifer? Ian's.. father?" 

"Don't call him that." Ian murmered, stepping away from the pair of men. "Just don't. Please? I'll find mom.." 

Ian stepped away from the fueding pair, walking towards the entrance of the ballroom. Emotion surged through his body like lightening, tainting every corner it touched. Nothing could ravage his brain like this was doing, as it tore holes in his heart and broke into his soul, causing cracks in the windows and cut marks on his mind. Walking outside, he found a silent corner and held his back to the wall, sliding downwards until he reached the floor. Pulling a pack from his pocket, he concentrated hard and produced a small flame, lifting the tip of his cigarette into it's core and sucking hard, drawing the smoke inside his lungs and blowing it forcefully outwards. It came out in a cough, and his hands flailed to his face to keep from choking to death. Tiny footsteps echoed the hall he occupied, and came closer to him and stopped as soon as a shadow engulfed his sitting form. Looking upwards, Ian blinked before recognizing the short lithe form of Collete Dincht. 

She sat down next to him, close enough for her scent to waft into his nostrils. Gazing at her, Ian blew another breath of smoke outside the corner of his mouth, and smiled weakly. "What are you doing here?" 

Collete shrugged, lacing her fingers together on her stomach. "Thought you might like some company under the age of eighteen." 

Ian grunted and took another drag off his cigarette, looking away. "I don't really want any company right now, Cole." 

"I think you do." Collete mumbled. "It's not every day crap like that happens. But you just gotta go with the flow." 

"What flow, Cole?" Ian grumbled, pulling out another cigarette from his pack. "What flow? Sure, my dad's been dead since before I was born. Sure, he comes back like nothing happens and starts screaming at me to see my mom. Sure, it happens every fucking day." 

"Ian-" 

"It shouldn't be this way, Cole. I should have stead home." Ian moaned, leaning his head back and snuffing out his lit cigarette in a potted plant a foot away from him, running a forearm across his eyes. "I should never have come here. I hate this Cole.." 

"Ian, it's okay to cry, ya know." Collete whispered, lacing an arm around his shoulders. "It's really okay.." 

"You don't understand Cole.." Ian grumbled, sniffling slightly. "I can't.. I can't understand.." 

"Understand what, Ian?" Collete whispered soothingly in his ear, leaning her cheek on his shoulder. "What?" 

"I can't understand why mom would lie to me.." Ian leaned his head on Collete's hand, and took her other one in his own. "I don't know.. she says she didn't know he was alive. And then.. with Pickselle.." A tear rolled down his cheek, to his chin and catching in the lapel of his shirt. "I can't understand it. I hate it. I wanna go home.." 

Feeling her heart soar out to him, Collete reached upwards to tilt his chin to her face, gazing into his miss matched eyes. Almost immediately she could tell his features from his parents, the eyes given to him by both Quistis and seifer. His father's high cheekbones with his mother's fox like chin, and his hair.. impossible to decipher. Both were blonde and beautiful, handosme in their own ways and let their genes fall down into their son. Their broken, horribly scarred son who's heart yearned for patience and stability, even if he had it all his life. 

It was just ripped away now. The stench of pain poured from him, enveloping her senses when she felt his palm cup her cheek. 

"Ian?" Collete whispered, feeling Ian's other hand encase her own. A hush from his part as his lips decended upon her own, and soon they were lost in eachother's thoughts and feelings. 

The last thing Collete felt that night was a single tear falling from Ian's cheek to her own, warming her senses and carrying her along with her own weeping. 

For a friend. 

For a friend. Right? 

For a friend. 

Right... 

******************************* 

WHAAA it's done for now. Woo! Read review! 

Also, I suggest everyone read It's been a while by SeiferCrossSword. It's about the years before EOTH but after DOTS. A wonderful fic I'm graced for this person to write. Thank you SCS!!!!!!! 


	11. Nightmare

Nightmares 

********** 

Collete woke to the smell of cigarette smoke, incense, wine and sweat, and the sound of music, set on low dancing in her ears. Opening her eyes slowly, letting the tender blue orbs adjust to unfamiliar surroundings, bright light shining through white curtains allowing her to catch a glimpse of a stille form beside her, hunched over and breathing steadily reading what seemed to be a magazine with his bare back to her. Blankets and a pillowed scattered on a couch in the tiny room, and immediately Collete figured out exactly where she was. Rolling gently to not disturb him, Collete lifted the blanket over her body and readily noted that she was dressed fully, from her SeeD uniform to her skirt, and her jacket folded neatly on the table beside her. Shaking her head lightly, a pounding headache rang her between her ears and she stifled a groan, wondering slowly if she should ask him what exactly ran her over the night before. 

Her moving didn't go unnoticed. "If you wanna puke, Cole," Ian mumbled low. "The waste baskets right beside you." 

Blinking back tears, Collete leaned over her knees. "Shit. What the hell did we do last night?" 

Ian turned to her, tossing the magazine he was reading onto the bed. "You don't remember?" 

"I guess not." A chill ran up Collete's spine, fear gripping her. "Can you.. remind me?" 

Shrugging, Ian stood up and opened a window above the bed, pulling another cigarette from the pack on his headboard. "Simple. You found me in my not so proudest moment, we came back to my room, had a drinking contest, and I won." Concentrating, Ian fanned a Fire in the palm of his hand, and lit the tip of the stick in it's core. "Why do you sound so afraid?" 

Collete shook her head, trying to stifle the butterflies that clawed at the lining in her stomach. "I'm not.. I..I'm just wondering.. " When she looked away, Ian raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. 

"Are you a virgin Cole?" He asked point blank. The question seemed to hit her hard to home. 

"What!?" 

"Not impossible to answer, girl. Are you a virgin?" Ian repeated, turning to face her again. Pulling himself on his knees, the bed creaked slightly with his added weight, and he leaned on the headboard for support. "At least, were you before the SeeD ball?" 

"I..I.." Collete murmered, looking away. "I.. yeah.." 

"You still are." Ian stated simply, blowing smoke ou through the window. "So stop worrying already." 

"What?" Collete whispered, pulling the sheet to her chest. "You mean we didn't..?" 

Ian snubbed out his cigarette, slightly annoyed at her preposition. "Hyne, Cole, we're friends. I don't take advantage of friends, especially drunk friends." Standing back to his legs, Ian ran a hand through his hair and plopped down lazily on the tiny couch in his dorm room. "I even took this flimsy thing so you could wake up feeling chaste and bitchy like you usually do in mornings. Geeze you're hard to please." 

Collete grimaced and turned away, letting her legs dangle on the edge. "I'm sorry." 

"For?" 

"I dunno." Collete stood up and stretched her lithe arms over her head, letting her eyes trail the room. "I guess for yesterday. With your mom and all. Then you had to baby sit me. Must be fun." 

"What are friends for? But now that you mention it, I could deal with maybe a little bit of nookie- Owwch!" A hard pillow flew across the room, smacking Ian right in the head. Playfully, he tossed it back at Collete's fuming stance. "I was kidding, Cole. Don't get all offended." 

"Ian, you are so totally outta my league." Collete threw her auburn hair back, and walked towards her jacket. Pulling it on, she cause Ian's stare from the corner of her eyes. "What is it now?" 

"Out of your league?" Ian asked cheerfully. "Whatcha mean by that?" 

Collete shrugged, sitting back on the bed. "You just are. Besides, we're friends, right?" 

"Yeah." Ian stepped towards the couch and pulled his shirt off the arm. "Of course." 

"So you wanna talk about what happened last night?" She continued quickly. "With your mom and.. Seifer." 

Ian pulled on his shirt and plopped down on the couch, taking with him the magazine he was reading earlier. Throwing a leg over the armrest, he shrugged simply, opening it up to the middle of the page. "Mom always said talking helps." 

"It does." 

His eyes portrayed fire and ice while he flipped through the pages a few more times before laying the magazine on his stomach. "Alright. Fine. Let's see. Okay. My mom always told me my father died before I was born, right? Well everytime I tried asking her about him, she always started to cry, so after a while I gave up. About a year ago she met and started dating that guy Ordin, you saw him fighting with Seifer, right?" 

Collete nodded, crossing her legs. "Yeah, go on." 

"Okay." Ian sighed. "Well, anyways, they've been going out for six months or so. Maybe seven, including the time I took off. Anyways, my mom raised me in Esthar, with my Uncle Laguna and Aunt Ellone. They aren't blood, but that's about nothing, ya know?" Ian shifted positions to lay on his side, still avoiding Collete's gaze. "But I guess that doesn't matter. It doesn't. Yeah.. Anyways, Mom never told me about my father. I got a bit of info from Uncle Laguna, but thats about it. A part of that info was that Seifer came here and attended, so I ran away and came here. I just needed some information on who my dad was." Finally, Ian turned his gaze to Collete. "You understand, right?" 

Collete nodded slowly, understanding sinking in. "I think I'd do the same if it were my dad. They got married together you know?" 

"I know that now." Ian let out a breath and turned away. "I find out later that the reason my mom tried keeping it a secret is that Seifer was the Sorceress' Knight of Edea Kramer. A horrible student of Garden. Pretty much defied everything they stood for. After the war, he lost all memory of his past and my mom brought him here. But before that they grew uptogether, and yet he still..." 

"Tried to kill them." Collete nodded slowly, understanding seeping through. "I know it's weird huh?" 

"Of course." Ian threw his other leg over the arm rest, pondering slightly as if in his own world. "Tae got me some info I wanted, on my dad. He's cool, ya know? Snuck into his dad's office and gave me my dad's whole file. I hope he doesn't get in trouble for it." 

"Taelon won't. He's a sneaky guy." Collete grinned, crossing her ankles. "So, what are you gonna do now?" 

"I dunno." Ian shrugged, flipping through his magazine again. "Just wait, maybe. What else can I do? I'm already having enough problems just trying to get a decent night's sleep." 

"Something wrong?" Collete stood up, and stood near Ian's head. Ian sat up and pulled his legs off the arm of the couch and scooted closer to it's side to make room for her. Sitting down, Collete nodded slightly and gingerly pulled Ian's head into her lap. It was then she noticed the tired lines framing his face, causing discomfort to herself as well. Dark bags lined under his eyes, making him look older than seventeen, his lips chapped and papery to the touch. With a tiny finger she trailed along his cheek bone in a motherly gesture, stroking his face gently, pushing away his hair, watching him close his eyes. "Why haven't you been sleeping? It's written all over your face." 

"Night mares, Cole.." Ian grumbled, lifting a heavy hand to Collete's neck and rubbing it gingerly. "Nightmares. All I can see are women killing their children.. and maggots, crawling though my body.. while I'm alive." His eyes snapped open then, and he glanced towards here serenely. "It's really gross. Nothing I wanna live through actually." 

"Well who would?" Collete murmered. "It sounds scarey." 

"The scarey part, Cole, is who saved me." Ian flinched slightly, gazing into Collete's eyes. "A woman saved me. She was gorgeous too, long red hair, green eyes.. just beautiful." A frown encased his features and a smirk on his lips. "You know, if anyone walked in right now, it'd seem like we did it last night." 

Collete sneered and shoved Ian off her lap forcefully, causing a giggle and yelp of pain from him. Standing up and brushing himself off, Ian gave her a pleasant smirk before holding out his arms, spread eagle style with a flamboyant look. "Hey I was just kidding, Cole!" 

"Yeah, yeah." Collete scowled. "Look, don't you have a class with Kinneas? I know I've got one with Tillmit." 

"Aren't they doubling today? For the SeeDs?" 

"Oh shit you're right." Collete nodded. "They are. You know they're an item?" 

Ian perked up. "Seriously?" 

"Sure enough." Collete buttoned her jacket and checked the time on her watch. "Oh crap. I gotta get changed, Ian. See if I can sneak into my dorm unnoticed." 

"Good luck, Cole." Ian smiled. "See you in a bit." 

***************************** 

Seifer shook his head slowly, marveling at the sight of Garden. Nothing ever changed, aside from a few new dorms added and a lot more stuffier Instructors. It was amazing how the more things changed, the more they stead the same, or in this case, the more things stead the same, the changes were more noticable. Especially how the Garden still resembled a huge, flying easter egg, just ripe for plucking in the hidden grass. It's perpetual halo still was shining, despite it's loss of tarnish and a few cracks in the frame. Either way, nothing had changed. 

Except for Quistis. She changed drastically. The glow of motherhood surrounded her beautifully, enhancing everything his eyes didn't catch before. The slight streaks of grey. The newly come crows feet, and a line or two around her mouth. The eletrci blue of her eyes still enticing, still alive. Hyne, she was still so beautiful, and she bore him an even more handsome and regal son. The kid hated him, he knew that. How could he not hate him? After years of being away and not being around to help him grow up, of course Ian would despise him, much like Seifer himself despised his unknown parents for years. All the orphans did, for at least a little while. 

"So talk." She asked him, looking up from her cup. She had been stirring it for the past half hour, unsure what to say. 

"I don't know what to say." 

"You came here, looking for me." She whispered. "So you have to be thinking something." 

"Maybe seeing you again has that affect on me." Seifer mumbled. "Or maybe the fact I've got a son and never knew. It happens." 

"More often then not." Quistis looked up from her cup of cooled tea and flashed him a look of serenity. "I don't know what to say." 

"That's a first." Seifer smiled. "A real first. Aren't you the woman with all the answers?" 

Quistis opened her lips to speak before a sound behind her cut whatever she was about to say off. Youngju Kim and Nida walked towards their table, Nida smirking like a freshly carved pumpkin and Youngju's lips perched in a tiny curve. Both stepped towards Quistis, with Nida's arms outstretched and welcoming Quistis's form into an embrace. Beside him, Youngju stood firm, shaking Quistis' hand when she got the chance and joining Seifer at the table. Seifer gave her an uncomfortable look while she glanced from him to the hugging friends and back to Seifer. Nervous fingers tapped the table before he cleared his throat and brought Nida's attentions towards him. A look of awe came over him before Nida sat down in an empty seat and cast a glazed look. 

"Wow.. you're really alive." He whispered. "I thought Ordin was off his rocker when he said it." 

The name shook Seifer like a windblown leaf. "Ordin? You mean that jerk who attacked me last night?" 

"He's not a jerk, Seifer." Quistis murmered. "We're.." 

"You're what?" Seifer sneered, his eyes cold while looking towards her. "Dating? Fucking? Engaged? All of the above?" 

"Seifer!" She whispered harshly. "Don't even start.." 

"Don't start what? Just stating the damned facts." Seifer leaned back in his seat and snorted a little. "Where is loverboy now, anyway?" 

"I sent him back home." Youngju chided in. "He has no place in this affair." 

Quistis shifted her weary gaze towards her oldest friend. "What? Why did you do that?" 

"Simple, blondie." Youngju tilted her head to the side and smirked. "Your husband comes back. Your kid has more emotions going through him then a baton has glitter. You tell me, my friend, where does the jilted boyfriend fit in?" 

Quistis turned away, scowling. Seifer shrugged and stood up, gathering his trash and his tray, excusing himself and walking towards the trashbin. Nida stared after him for a short moment and glanced towards each female face. "Wow. Has he been alive this long?" 

"Yes, yes, he has." Quistis grumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Look.. Nida, have you seen Xu yet?" 

"No. Should I have?" 

"Ugh." Youngju growled. "You only dated her for years, and left her a pile of mush. And now, you're here and won't pay a visit? That's cruel, you jackass." 

Nida grumbled under his breath and silently excused himself from the table seconds before Seifer returned to resume his seating. All three of them watched Nida's retreating form in silence, using the occurance as a means of silent peace, yet the silence remained long after he was far from sight. 

************************* 

Xu was tired. After hours and hours of doing the work she had unfortunetely let run over, the paper signed and approved was sent to the OUT box did she finally breathe again. Being the same damned secretary to yet another headmaster for Garden was tiring work, but she had no idea what else she could do outside of this big floating school. It all was worth it when she had him by her side, helping her pick up the slack and constantly making her happy with his perpetual enthusiasm. Sometimes even taking a pile of papers and doing the work himself, just so they could have a few more minutes alone with one another, sans work, away from stress. Nida, always Nida. 

No sense dwelling on the past. Xu plucked the rest of the papers from the IN box and lifted the heavy burden into her arms. Grunting, she stepped away and started walking towards her door, looking away from the knob as she turned it and gave a last glance towards her office and exiting into the hallway. People around her gave polite greetings and some even completely ignored her, all faceless behind her facade of Xu, Wonder woman. 

Hyne.. if she could only see him just once... 

Love had an annoying way of refusing to die. 

Her eyes caught sight of a dark head, chocolately black hair set in a subtle wave with burgundy highlights of age. He seemed happy, speaking with an older cadet, nodding at her sorrowful jokes and even sometimes taking a weary shot at himself as well. Xu deemed him a bit too older for her, even if she was around the legal age, and snorted lightly through her nose before walking upon them and hearing a part of their conversation. His voice was deep and thoughtful, and reminded her of one she adored so long ago. 

"Well, young lady, I'll just get going now." He said, with an obvious smile in his voice. "I have an old friend to meet." 

"Oh yeah, Miss Xu." The girl sounded, her name on her tongue like a foreign taste. "It's kinda late. I don't think she'd be in office by now." 

"No, I wouldn't be." Xu chided sweetly. "At least not in my office." 

The man seemed to gasp before turning around and setting his dark eyes on her. Xu trailed her gaze to his strong nose and dark eyes, not letting the realization set in until the silent curve of his full lips made her realize who he was. Her chin seemed to tremble as a tear snuck out of her eye and fell across her cheek, caught my his gentle finger taking it away. 

"Hey girl." He whispered gently. "Don't cry for me, huh?" 

Xu sniffled slightly, raising a hand to the one that cupped her cheek. "Is it really you, Nida? Or am I just dreaming again?" 

"Haha.." Nida smiled. "Naw, you're not dreaming. I missed you, hon." 

"Oh Nida.." Xu cried, moving away slightly. "I..I can't believe you're here.." 

She flung herself into his arms, his warm, welcoming arms, and cradled herself against his chest. She felt him wrap his body around her as well and sigh wistfully in this state of euphoria, enjoying each blissful minute she had with him in the halls. When he pulled away it was all too soon, and she relished in his touch as his hand stroked the hair from her eyes. 

"Xu, hey how've you been? Ah, stop crying sweetheart. I know, it's been a while hasn't it?" 

Sniffling slightly, Xu looked up at him with her watery eyes. "Why did you leave, Nida? You never should have left me. I miss you so much.." 

"Xu.." He began. "I wanted to get married. I needed to have the comfort of my ring on your finger, and I was tired of waiting. I don't like things standing still, Xu, and you promised me too many times. We were engaged for years. Years, waiting for something you weren't sure of." Nida smiled weakly at her, his chin wavering slightly. "I never stopped loving you, Xu. I never could. But I had to go on with my life." 

"Nida, stop, please." Xu whispered. "I can't take it.. Just.." 

"What, Xu?" Nida asked, pleading in his voice. "Why can't you take it? What can't you take?" 

Xu's exterior fell apart them, her facade shattering into tearful dam of pain. Throwing herself back in his arms, she mumbled out words of love and trust to him, sorrowful angry words she wished she had told him long before he had gone from her life and left her the cold, withered creature she was now. Nida slowly reached around her waist to hold her gently, letting her tears soak his thin shirt clear through. How was he to know that she loved him, when she wouldn't make the ultimate commitment to him? It was selfish thinking, true, but his ring on her fingers, her, waking up next to him every morning as his wife, maybe even have a child.. It was a lot to ask, but in his eyes, it was the only thing he could ever to to prove to her just how much he loved her. To him it didn't seem like too much. 

Using the curve of his fingers, Nida lifted her to face his and gingerly kissed her puffy lips, whispering words she longed to hear ever since his departure. Standing on her tiptoes she deepened the kiss for what seemed like an eternity before he pulled away and buried his face in her hair. The smell of her brought back cold, hard memories of how he just left, angry with her refusal for the one thing he begged of her. Also what seeped through was the feeling of Xu in his arms, the sweet smell of her shampoo, and the love he still felt everytime he knew she existed merely for him. Pulling away again, Nida grimaced at her tear stricken face, her mascara warn down in ebony streaks on her cheeks. 

"You need to wash your face, hon." He whispered, wiping away one streak and rubbing his finger and thumb together. 

Xu shivered slightly, her body heaving a sigh. "I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to, Nida, honest." 

His soft chuckle caught her off guard. "Xu, Xu, sweetheart, it's okay. I like this softer, sweeter side to you. It proves to me that you're not the superwoman who's form is unapproachable." 

"What?" 

"What I mean, Xu," Nida smiled. "Let's go out to dinner tonight, my treat okay? Talk over a few things, old lives, old loves.." 

"New loves?" She whispered. The small nod of Nida's head dashed all hope in Xu's heart. 

******************************* 

Irvine Kinneas loved Selphie Tillmit. Nothing on earth could change that, even if the Hyne from above wanted them to be apart for all eternity he'd find some way to be with her again. The past he created made a void in her heart though, and even though they had been together for years on end, she still refused to marry him. He asked her again the night before and she paled, shaking her head slowly and murmering 'No.. not yet' and turning away. After that he decided to just give up and let Selphie have her space until she was ready to wear his ring on her finger as he was to give it to her. He was damned lucky she took him back after the last time. 

After she had finished reading hte list of names who would be participating, She sighed and sat down "Alright class." Selphie's tired voice rang out over the class room. "Now, you'll be going with Mister Kinneas on your first mission. I know it's unorthadox, but since you guys did pass pretty low level, this is just a precaution." She looked around the class room with her weary eyes and nodded. "Any questions?" 

"I've got one." Taelong asked, raising his hand. "Why is Gabrian Kramer coming with us? He's already SeeD of high rank. And so is Giselle Dincht." 

"My sister is a slut who follows around her pimp anywhere he goes." Collete mumbled loudly. "Of course she's gonna go with Gabe." 

"Collete!" Irvine growled. "Here at the Garden we don't appreciate that tone of another student." 

"It's true! You guys run circles around Gabrian and let Gis-OWW!" Collete glared at Ian, who sneered back at her angrily, mouthing 'Shut the fuck up!' and turning to face forward in his seat. Collete growled at him and shook her head slowly when Irvine asked her again if she had anything more to say. She clutched her arm where Ian's thin fingers had caused a sharp pain on her skin and fumed silently in her seat. Half heartedly she wondered if Ian was more interested in Giselle then anything or anyone in Garden, but shook the notion off as suddenly as it came to her. Ian, liking Gissy? Only if Hyne comes to earth and joins Garden as well. 

"Alright." Irvine began, stepping infront of the class beside Selphie. "What we're gonna do here, is devide up into two teams and over take the north and western side of Deiling. My team will be co-led by Fujin of the DC, while Selphie's team will be co-led by Raijin of the DC. Selphie's team will head up north and take out the monsters that're there, while mine will head east. If possible, we find the source that's dragging in all these monsters, 'cause they're like nothin' we've seen in a long time." 

Taelon raised his hand and Irvine gave him a tired glance. "Yeah, Tae?" 

"Sir, what's so different about these new monsters?" Taelon asked. "I mean, we're all stocked up with Scan, should we use them on them, or will it be a waste?" 

"Naw, won't be a waste." Irvine chuckled low. "Won't at all. See, they're outside of our boundries, and their levels are some what lower then what you're used to. But they sure as hell can pack a punch, and most of them are ice and fire breathers. I know not many of you have Earth or Wind magic on ya, do ya?" 

A round of negative responces made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and prick. "Well, see, it just might be a bit of a problem. Thank Hyne that most of these monsters are sleep and darkness susceptable. So junction that to your attack." 

"Problem, Mister Kinneas." Ian spoke up. "Not everyone's got a Guardian Force." 

"Not a problem, Ian, 'cause I've got about twelve of them and I know you've got your mothers." Irvine peered closer at him, and stepped forward. "And I'm sure if we don't run enough you can share." 

"Yeah, no problem." Ian nodded. 

Irvine smiled and stepped back towards the front of the room, eyeing each face of the small class. "You guys have to realize this isn't no training. You're all well, able bodies kids with enough power in you to smack a Torama to it's knees. Of all people I'm sure this little monster clean up will be just dandy exercise in preparation for even bigger missions in your future." Setting down a file, Irvine opened up his binder and looked over the name, mathcing them to the faces in the room. "Alright. When we get down to the dock of Balamb I'll divide the teams an' tell you all the plan. Now let's get going. Everyone's here, and we don't have much time t' waste." 

The class stood up, murmering amongst themselves with some of the girls giggling and most of the males smirking. Collete sided up with Ian and nudged him in the arm roughly, scowling into his mismatched eyes. "What was that for?" 

"Cole, you shouldn't start shit up like that." Ian whispered back. "Just take it all in stride, okay?" 

"My sister-" Collete began. 

"Enough about Gertrude already." Ian whined. "You're already a million times better then her, so what's the use of bitching?" 

Collete smiled. "Her name is Giselle.. and thanks." 

"Anytime Cole. Now come on, I don't have time to sit here and build up your self esteem." 

"My self esteem doesn't need building!" Collete muttered defensively. "I'm just-" 

"Low self opinionated." Ian interrupted. "Look. Cole you're a wonderful, beautiful girl. Any person'd be glad to have you as a friend, daughter, girlfriend, whatever. Just think of it okay? I'm damned glad I have you as a friend and not Garlia, or whatever her name is." He ran a hand through his hair and smirked. "You're better looking anyways." 

Collete smiled sweetly, a slight tinge of rose coming to her cheeks. "Her name is Giselle, Ian. And we're twins, how can I be better looking?" 

"You're a lot prettier on the inside, and you have blue eyes." Ian stated it like a fact. "Blue eyes are very pretty, at least to me." 

Collete smiled and looked away. Ian smirked, and walked a bit faster to catch up with the rest of the class as they followed Instructor Kinneas and Instructor Selphie Tillmit towards their first mission together as SeeDs. Thoughts ran through Ian's mind as be boarded the car, not of the mission like it should have been, but of the night he and Collete spent together. Very hesitantly he held her, yet never told her when she began whimpering because of a strange dream her mind was racing through, obviously causing her pain that made him wish to scream. Still, his arms wrapped around her as he laid his head awkwardly on the pillow and shut his eyes into a deep sleep. Breathing in her scent was an excellent sleep aide, yet when he opened his eyes in the darkness once more all he could see was flame red hair and her face snarling up at him, as if in a night mare.. 

The next time he woke up he was on the sofa, a blanket wrapped around his body and shaking as if the ice cold hand of Death trailed a watery line down his back. 

Nightmares.. 

Who needed them.. 

********************************** 

  
Author's Notes: -_- I've just recieved a very, very mean e-mail -_- Someone decided to let me know what they thought... Well I don't give a damn! Blech! Bite me! My story, and people like it so far! Mine! Okay, done ranting..   
I've read one of the most disturbing pieces of beautiful art I've ever had in my life. it is by DK, and the story is labled 'Monster' Though not a Quiefer fic, it tells a nice, true reasoned tale of Seifer Almasy, who he is and how he was and why he became to be. If you're a Seifer fan, and wish to be VERY touched and disturbed (right down to the last sentense) I highly recommend it. Please, do so and read it? You won't regret it ^_^ And tell him Malice Shaw sentcha in a review! ^_^   
This is Malice Shaw signing out for this chapter. I'm sorry it's of low quality, but bare with me! Action soon!


	12. Ghost.

Ghost

  


********

The cold winds washed through her hair, staining her cheeks pink, and running through her clothes. Always she was a smart, beautiful woman with a heart of gold and an innocense that surrounded her like an aura of confidence. Always, it was her who could lead them to where they wanted to go, and how to get their with a slight of her hand and how they followed her. She was their teacher in every right, leading them along the way to overcome oblivion and hail as SeeDs. She was their teacher, their leader, their hand at the real world of life and they would follow her endlessly to the depths of the earth just to see her pleased, stunning smile shine upon them. 

If only she wasn't so damned hot.. 

"Yo, Ian, wake up!" Taelon said, slapping his friend across the back of his head. "Gee man, get a grip. You gonna be able to stay awake for the mission?" 

"Yeah.." Ian grumbled. "Yeah, I am. I mean I will." Turning to face Taelon, Ian leaned against the railing of the boat. "I have a problem, Tae." 

"What's up?" 

"I think.." Ian let his eyes drift towards Selphie once more before shaking his head slowly in comfirmation. "Crap. I am." 

"Oh no.." Taelon murmered, his eyes brimming with laughter. "You mean you're hot for teacher?" 

"Shuttup man! It's not that funny!" 

"Hey hey!" Taelon snickered, stepping away. "I get it, I get it, don't fret, young grasshopper." 

"Oh, well. At least you understand." Ian slid down the rail, leaning against it and pulling his knees to his chest. Taelon followed suit, glancing at his watch and looking at the crashing seas. Ian looked from Selphie back to him and then back to Selphie with a smirk. "She's dating Instructor Kinneas, but I turn eighteen in about eight months..." 

"Okay man, _now_ you're getting yourself in a bad dilema." Taelon snickered, punching Ian lightly in the arm. "Snap outta it already. Instructor Tillmit is taken. Fantasize all you want but it's not gonna happen." 

"Tch.. Fine." Ian smirked at Taelon. "Ruin a young boy's fantasy." 

"Hey, I said fantasize right? Didn't say stop fantasizing or I'd go to my father and have you expelled." Taelon shrugged off another laughing fit, pressing his lips shut together. "I'm actually relieved it's not my mom." 

"Oh yeah.." Ian trailed off. "Your mom _is_ pretty hot." 

"Hey shuttup!" 

"Heh heh.." 

"Hey guys!" Collete shouted over to them, waving a lithe arm in the air. She walked towards them with a tomboyish grace and plopped down next to Ian, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "What are you doing?" 

"Ian's hot for teacher." Taelon stated like a fact. "Don't let him tell you otherwise, or he'll call your mommy 'hot' and make _you_ feel uncomfortable." 

Collete remained silent, and Ian turned to her, waggling his eye brows. "Yeah, your mom's hot, Cole" 

"Shut up!" Collete scowled, shoving Ian back into the railing. "My mother is not hot! Or she better not be to you." 

Shrugging, Ian reached into his jacket pocket and yanked out his cigarettes. "Well to who then?" he asked, slipping the end of one cigarette between his lips. 

"My dad. Duh." Collete smiled weakly, easing herself closer to Ian. Lifting a hand to his face, she cupped a small Fire flame at the tips of her fingers as he leaned forward to light his cigarette. Her mastery of fire was unmatched by any of the other SeeDs, due to her mother's teachings of the flame. She grew more accustomed to it then lightening, which Giselle mastered fluently with no problems, even though each time Collete tried she always ended up frying something on her body. With fire, Giselle kept getting herself burned. 

Taelon shook his head from side to side slowly, a look of disgust on his face. "I can't believe you're still smoking, Ian. Don't you know what those things do to your body?" 

Ian lowered his head and sighed, breathing smoke through his nose into the air. "Yes, I know, geez. But I'm not gonna quit." 

"Does your mom know?" 

"...No." Ian stared hard at Taelon. "And she won't, will she?" 

Taelon smirked back. "She just might." 

"Ugh.." Ian growled. "Come on Tae.." 

"He's kidding, aren't you Tae?" Collete asked. "If you're not then maybe Angie just might know..." 

"You wouldn't." Taelon said, his eyes slitted dangerously. 

"Wanna bet?" 

"....whatever.." 

"That's what I thought." Collete smiled smugly, leaning against Ian. "So where are we headed again?" 

"Well." Taelon began, looking out across the seas. "We're supposed to head into Deiling as a clean up crew, be rid of a bunch of new monsters. Never ending adventure, huh?" 

"Sure is." Collete whispered. "Never ending adventure. Clean out monsters. Cute." 

A loud fog horn interrupted their conversation, and the shouts from Irvine concluded that indeed they had reached their destination. Picking themselves off the deck floor, Collete stretched her arms high over her head and yawned loudly, much to the chargine of Ian who simply stood up and spat over the edge, dropping his wasted cigarette butt afterwards into the crashing waters. Taelon scolded him, and stood up, shaking the stiffness out of his joints and cracking his neck loudly, turning his head in unusual angles as Ian and Collete watched and cringed, grabbing their mouths and stomachs and turning away. Taelon smiled and started walking towards the front of the deck, with Collete and Ian trailing behind him. Irvine saw them and smiled, nodding as the rest of the group joined them together. Gabrian snickered slightly and stuck his foot out, tripping Ian's steps. Ian stumbled into Giselle, who shrieked loudly and started slapping him, until Collete growled under her breath and snatched Giselle by her hair. They were broken up by Angie Zoback and Taelon, with Irvine behind them. 

"Knockit off!" Irvine shouted, grabbing Giselle by the arms. Ian snatched Collete away and pried her fingers from her sister's hair, growling threats while Giselle shrieked. "Stop it! Now!" 

"She started it!" Giselle spat. Collete growled and lurched from Ian's arms again, only to be held back by Taelon as well. 

"Stop it, both of you!" Irvine shouted again, motioning for Taelon and Ian to pull Collete away. "Damn it, now I have to change the teams.. 

"What's going on here?" Selphie asked, walking towards the group. Taking note of the angry faces, she looked up at Irvine in concern. "Irvy, what happened?" 

"Sephie, I need to switch Collete with you. Giselle and Cole are on the same team." Irvine mumbled, releasing Giselle. "Possible I can take someone from your group to mine?" 

Selphie thought on it for a moment and nodded, motioning for Gabrian to move ahead. "I had Gabe, Taelon and Angie, but I'll take Collete. Gabrian, you're with Instructor Kinneas now, alright?" 

Gabrian nodded grimly, casting a glance at Ian. "Yeah. Fine. No problem, Instructor." 

Selphie nodded, stepping away. Gazing out over the ocean, her emerald eyes caught a climpse of sand and tides, crashing against the land harshly, drawing the sands into it's watery depths. In another time and another place, it would be a beautiful, romantic sight where she and Irvine would relax and enjoy the view, but not now. Although she'd never admit it, the thought of being with him for something as permanant as marraige scared the hell out of her. Especially with Irvine. His betrayal of their trust was still scorching the back of her mind, like a pesky fly attempting to lay it's eggs. Love was not a problem, she still loved him with all her heart, but the fear if marrying him, and being 'trapped' if he ever did it again kept her finger bare of his ring. Throwing those thoughts out the door, Selphie smiled tartly, leaning over the railing just to get a bit better view of the waters below. 

A loud banging on the side of the boat frightened her. Peering closer to the edge, a full onslaught of power slammed the railing into her midsection, and she grunted in pain before her screams echoed in everyone's ears. As the boat wracked around her, the last vision she saw before falling into the cold waters below was Irvine, reaching out to grab a hand that was already engulfed in the sea. 

******************************* 

Xu marveled at how he spoke to her. Every word he said seemed to lift her spirits, each sound his throat made caused her to tingle with unknown feelings. His hand on hers caused such loving warmth she just had to react, draping her other hand over his and squeezing gently. Just being in his presense brought her to this euphoria, this wonderful beautiful euphoria, where each moment seemed like heaven in a heart beat so precious it had to be made well for. Sipping from her cup, Xu smiled up at him, feeling younger than she ever had in the years she spent away from his devine company. Nida was witty, smart, well intellectual and just plain wonderful to be around, or be with. 

So why did he have to go? 

"So, when I hired Youngju as my waitress, I knew it was going to work out. She's smart enough to handle anything that comes her way. A few weeks ago we had a huge problem at the bar, a round of drunks? She took them out in an instant." Nida joyously smashed a piece of meat into his mouth, eating noisily. "I'm surprised I never found her before. She's great." 

"So.." Xu began, clearing her throat and leaning on her elbows. "Are you two dating?" 

Nida choked down another bite of his meal, casting a long glanc at Xu infront of him. "Me? Dating Youngju? Oh heck no! That girl's got way too much fire for anyone to handle. Me? Naw, I don't think I'd ever be able to extinguish her flame. She's a sweetheart, but not for me." 

"Oh." Xu mumbled, stiffling a smile. "Are you dating anyone anyway?" 

A smile broke Nida's lips. "My my, Xu aren't we the personal quiestionaire today?" 

Xu growled at him, giving him one of her 'if looks could kill' glares. "I'm only trying to be polite, Nida. It's only nice of me to seem interested in your well being." 

"So," Nida mumbled. "You're just trying to be nice then." 

"I have to be." 

Nida shook his head slowly, marveling at her stance on this matter. "Maybe that's your problem." He murmered, eating a bit more slowly. "You always have to be so nice." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xu asked, her voice etched with sarcasm. 

Nida shook his head, and raised his hand to signal the waiter for the check. "It doesn't matter, Xu. It really doesn't. I mean, look at us, messing around like this? Having lunch together and pretending to be interested in eachother's lives? Where is this gonna take us, Xu? I know as well as you do that we can't let go." 

Xu frowned slightly, taking in his words. "Can't let go of what, Nida? Of the past?" 

"Of eachother." Nida said, pulling his wallet from his jacket. "I'll admit one thing, Xu. I came here because I wanted to see you. I wanted to see how you've been, if you missed me. And from our little chat here I figured you felt the same damned way. But I guess not, because you're still sniping at me, trying to hide Hyne knows what behind a facade I'm too tired to see through." 

Xu brought her eyebrows together, and stood up just when Nida got to his feet. "Hold it, Nida, just what are you-" 

"What I'm saying, Xu, is simple. I wanted you back, seeing if you changed even slightly." Nida sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "But you're still the cold hearted person I left behind. Would it just kill you for once to just let someone else lead?" 

Xu opened her mouth to speak, to make an attempt at defending herself, but then closed her lips, looking away. Feeling defeat, Nida walked out of the restuarant and glared at anyone who passed him on the street. Still at the table, Xu stared into her uneaten food and let the tears from her face fall down, splash into the plate and puddle. Once again she lost him, except this time it was before she ever had him. Shoving her plate aside, Xu laid her head in her arms and quietely sobbed the evening away. 

******************************* 

"SELPHIE!!!" Irvine screamed, reaching down the railing to the flailing woman. Selphie sputtered in breath after breath, failing to keep her head over water. Shouting for her to hold on, Irvine ran back towards the kids, who's weapons were brandished against a large watery creature. Staning at least three stories tall, the humongous monster resembled something close to that of a shark, somehow bred in with a wild boar. It's jaws dripped with venom and it's claws tipped with sharp blades that cut along the boat like a torch through ice. Bits and pieces of debris fell upon the water from the ship, as the monster slashed and hacked it's way towards the fearful children. Taelon lashed out angrily with his hands, throwing a large Lighting bolt into the monster's body, causing it to cry out in pain. Stepping away, Taelon shouted at Ian to get everyone to the other end of the boat and help Selphie. 

"I'm not leaving you alone, Taelon!" Angie screamed, stepping up next to him. Twirling her sais in one hand, she flung it up at the monster, watching with satisfaction as it screamed in agony. Jumping out of the way of it's slamming paw, Angie flung a rope towards Ian, who caught it and fell backwards while scrambling away. Irvine grabbed the rope from Ian's hands fast enough to cause slight rope burn. Ian hissed under his breath and clutched his burning palms, giving Irvine a glare as the teacher ran towards the railing of the boat. Irvine tied the end of the rope to the railing and flung his long legs over the edge, and scaled down the side of the boat reaching for Selphie. Sputtering for breath Selphire reached upwards and latched onto his outstretched arm, and allowed him to gingerly pull her up form the sea. Holding her tightly, Irvine climbed the robe with one hand, straining against the ship to bring them both back aboard. When they finally reached the railing, Selphie coughed up a lung full of water while clutching Irvine's jacket as his arms wrapped around her shivvering body. 

"Instructor Kinneas! We can't hold it back!" Collete screamed, throwing a weak bolt at the monster. "What do we do?" 

The jaws of the monster knashed across the railing, snarling the metal into scraps. It spit it into the ocean with the force of a cannon, causing the water to spurn upwards with the force of a tsunami. The wave crashed against the cadets, knocking all of them up from under their feet and crashing Gabrian into the side hull. Grunting in pain, Gabrian hissed out a curse and with his hands he waved elegantly into the air, forming delicate circles while his wet face beaded with concentration. Screaming out the name of long ago, he thrust out his hands as a golden light engulfed his body, and those who stood around him. 

With a bright crash of lightening, the monster of the sea screamed in agony as a bright bolt seemingly jetted from the sky, splitting it in two. The bright, golden and emerald laced wings of Quezecotl sliced the air with silent death, as the screams of the monster filled the air with it's deafening sounds of agony. Giselle shouted, covering her ears with her hands while tears traveled down her cheeks and droplets of crimson dribbled down her cheeks from beneath her palms. Behind her the rest of the team was doing the same, with Taelon screaming in pain and collapsing to his knees and trying to resist the urge to slam his forehed into the floorboard. Beside him Angie let out a shrill shriek before collapsing next to him, staring up at him with vacant eyes as her blood fell across her face and puddle on the side of her nose. Looking away, Taelon caught a glimpse of the Instructors, clutching their ears as well while struggling with Collete and Ian. Collete was screaming and thrashing about on the deck, pounding into the hard metal and steel with her limbs and next to her Ian was passed out, the blood from his ear canals puddling around his head like a crimson halo. The whole scene was grotesque, his friends and enemies falling around him at the screams of a dying creature. 

"S-S-Scan!" Taelon wheezed, concentrating hard on the monster. It's howls soon dissipated into gasping cries, and delved down into nothing. Taelon absorbed the information with a clear head, as the monster's humongous body fell back into the ocean and caused another massive wave to hit the boat. It took a few moment sfo reveryone to account them selves for, and take a breather to relax for a few precious moments. 

"Omigawd, I was so scared..." Giselle murmered, pulling herself to her knees. Beside her Gabrian lifted his weary body upwards and walked towards her, laying a bloodied palm on her shoulder. "You..You really did good, Gabe.." 

"Yeah, I know." Gabrian said, pulling himself to his feet. Reaching down he grasped Giselle's hand in his own and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently before leading the way back to the front of the boat. Giselle smiled wearily, before casting a glance at her twin sister, who's thrashings had ceased and she lay still. Ian had her head into his lap, pushing away the auburn strands of hair from her face. 

"Cole!?" Giselle screamed, letting go of Gabrian's hand and running to her sister. Shoving Ian aside, Giselle picked up Collete's head and cradled her in her arms. "Cole, Colie, please sis, wake up, come on, don't die on me.." 

Collete sputtered out a spray of watter, and coughed, looking up at her twin with weary eyes. "The fuck..?" She mumbled, pulling herself into an upright position. "The hell is goin' on?" 

Giselle breathed a giggly sigh of relief, with Gabrian coming up behind her. "I was so worried, Colie! You were passed out there like a dead person and-" 

"For the last time, Giselle, _don't_ call me Colie! Ugh.." Collete stood up, wavering on her feet a little. Behind her Ian took guard of her uneasy steps and gripped her forearm tightly in his hand to steady her walk. "Shit..." 

"That was kinda quick." Ian murmered. "Just how do we get to land now? The boat's sinking as we speak." 

"There's always the life boats on the side." Selphie spoke up, wringing out her hair. "Unless..." 

"Yeah, the monster destroyed them." Irvine muttered, shaking his head slowly. "Complete damage." 

"The monster's name was Aquanemite." Taelon said, rubbing the blood from his face as he walked up. Behind him Angie was doing the same, running her hands through her pale tresses. Taelon looked back at her and murmered about her well being, which she nodded and said she was alright. "Okay, well of all things I know, I know it's bad against electricity. But it's a full water monster, and it is kinda.. well big?" 

"Understatement of the year, Piss-onhart." Gabrian growled. "Now whatta we do?" 

"What else is there to do?" Taelon mumbled, pointing out to the sea. "Everyone got their floaty's on? In the pool, kids." 

************************************** 

Ordin walked the town of Balamb with light feet, being vcareful not to touch anything out of order. The place seemed like fragile, blown glass, so delicate and easy that once a feather from the heavens would fall upon it it would shatter. It was a small place, an unusually tiny realm it seemed. More over was the surprise that Quistis actually grew up here, or around here. The hardened woman she was now had to be forged along the way when she raised her son alone, with no one to be around to tell the boy about anything. Laguna had been a great fatherly figur in Ian's life, though, so the boy hadn't gone completely with out. He had a wonderful father figure in Laguna, and a rich, lavish life in Esthar, and now in Garden. Amazing boy, he was, and took the news of his father being alive after all these years fairly well. Except for the arguments they occasionally had, Ian pretty much avoided Seifer as much as possible. Better then the boy going out and searching for his father's head. 

Stepping into the bar, Ordin scaled the place with his amber eyes and sighed. Not too busy, not too vacant either. A few people crowded the tables, and another few hung at the bar nursing drinks. It was late in the evening, Ordin figured as he slipped into a stool and ordered a strong drink. The man next to him gave him a once over before continuing his own binge. 

"What're you doing here?" The stranger asked. Ordin merely shrugged and shook his head. "I thought you went home." 

"Younju sent me, but I stayed anyway. I figured Quistis would need me, and I would only be a town away." 

"She won't need you." The stranger murmered, sipping from his glass again. "She has me." 

"You don't understand it, do you Seifer?" Ordin began, his voice faltering slightly with pity. "You can't just pop in and out of someone's life like you're doing now." 

"I'm not doing that." Seifer hissed at Ordin angrily. "I wanna do what the hell is right by my wife, and my son. Staying away this long-" 

"Wasn't right." Ordin drained his glass and set it down, ordering another round. "Why didn't you come back to her? She had your kid, for Hyne's sake." 

"I didn't know about Ian. I didn't find out until they were captured." Seifer threw back the rest of his drink, and set the glass aside. "If I knew, I wouldn't have stayed away. I would have had some partake in my son's life." 

"Some isn't enough. But how the hell did you manage to keep away from your own wife?" Taking a sip from his newly ordered drink, Ordin shook his head in dismay. "If she was my wife, I would have high tailed it to Esthar in an instant." 

"I didn't fucking know she was in Esthar. She took off after the shit hit the fan on the Eclipse." Seifer ran a hand through his hair and stood up, leaning against the bar. "If I did.. I don't know." 

Ordin mimicked Seifer's stance, bringing himself to his feet. "Why? Quistis is a wonderful, beautiful woman and she bored an incredible kid. It's strange that he's actually yours." 

"Very. Funny." Seifer growled. "Look. I was angry, alright? Fr a long time I was brooding over the fact that she, my wife, left me behind. And then she ran off pregnant with my kid. And, of all things, she's dating.. dating.. you." 

"What's so wrong with me?" 

"..The fact I'm not in your shoes." 

Ordin shrugged, reaching behind him to pick up his drink. Sipping silently for a few moments, he finally spoke up. "Ian made her." 

"What?" 

"Ian made her go out with me." A slight smile perched Ordin's lips. "He made her go out with me. I'm her first damned date since your disappearance, strange as it may sound. Apparently she kept brooding about, just doing ehr work like a mindless zombie ignoring everyone who showed even the slightest bit of intrest in her. I guess Ian took a liking to me and told her he'd go out with Celeste again if she didn't at least give me a chance." 

Seifer grimaced slightly. "Who the hell is Celeste?" 

"Ian's ex girlfriend. Told everyone he raped her, beat her, the works. No one believed her, of course, but his mother was pissed." Ordin smiled at the memory. "Tied her up naked with fliars all around saying what she lied about. Even used her position to find out more crazy things about the poor girl. Needless to say, she never said a damned thng about Ian again. And she was too afraid of Quistis to do anything about it." 

"That's my Quisty." Seifer said warmly, bringing his eyes to the floor. "She's fire, isn't she." 

"You still love her, don't you." Setting his glass down on the bar, Ordin shook his head. 

"I think I do still love her." Seifer pulled himself back into his stool and downed the rest of his drink. "I always told myself I hated her for leaving me behind. But when I saw her.. it was like nothing had ever passed. The years faded away. Everything fell into place." 

"You re still married. You can have a quick divorce due to abandonment. What's stopping you?" 

"Hell if I know." Seifer grumbled, standing up again. He trailed his eyes across the bar, catching the drunk in the corner, the couple fighting on the right. Distracting, but not enough. "Look. You're welcome back at the Garden just as much as I am. Youngju, from what I've met, is a nice person. But she doesn't say who stays and who doesn't." 

"Right." Ordin murmered, glancing around the bar as well. "You're a decent man. I'm surprised we didn't rip eachother's throats out." 

"You're not the only one." Stepping away, Seifer bid farewell to Ordin and exited the bar, opening the door to let the light of the evening cast it's shadow in the dark place. Ordin let his thoughts trail for a few minutes before sitting back down in his own stool and ordering another drink. The bartender set it down infront of him, and gave him a polite stare before asking "What's your problem mister?" 

"You tell me, barkeep." He said, gulping down his liquar fast enough to burn his throat. "I need some advice." 

"On?" 

"I've spend my relationship trying to compete with a ghost." Ordin murmered, fiddling with a napkin. "I thought I won." 

The bartender nodded, washing a glass with a rag. "Okay. Problem?" 

"The ghost just ressurected itself." Ordin whispered with a meloncholic tone. "And I just don't have the will to fight anymore." 

****************************************************   
Damn.. this took long enough.. I'm sorry.. A few personal things have been happening in my life at the moment, and they needed to be resolved. I know this is a bit short, but I'm already writing the next chapter! I swear! Thank you for reading.. please, review! 


	13. Reveltaion

Revelation  
***************

"I can't believe this shit." Gabrian sputtered, dragging Ian across the soft sands with one arm underneath his arms. "Of all the things you're said to be, you can't fucking swim!?" 

"Shut up!" Ian gasped, spitting salt water from his lips. Shoving Gabrian away, he fell to the sands with a loud thud, gasping for air. "I've lived in Esthar all my damned life, there's no freakin' beaches around it!" 

"No beaches.. I don't believe it.. You live on a continant... and you say you can't find a fucking beach..?!" Gabrian pulled a small bit of seaweed off his shoulder and flung it to the ground, snarling a bit at everthing around him. After the monster had torn their ship into driftwood, Irvine had carried a dreary Collete on his back while swimming towards shore with Selphie beside him, keeping her afloat. Only Gabrian had noticed a choking and gagging Ian, who splashed around noisily and screamed. Being one of the best swimmers in Balamb Garden, Gabrian rushed towards him with fluid strokes and reached out to grab his arm, steady him above water. Instead of being greatful, the jerk snatched Gabrian by the arm and nearly drowned them both, pulling him hard underneath the water and screaming at the top of his lungs, "Shark! Shark!" 

Gabrian had replied to that by slapping him enough to nearly knock him out and dragging him through the water on his back, cursing the whole way. 

"Man, shut up already. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know you, of all people were saving me." Ian coughed, glaring up at Gabrian rudely. "Why the hell did you swim all the way out there for me anyways? You hate me." 

"Simple, Fresh. Gissy would never hear the end of it from Cole, and I don't want anything to bother Gissy, even if it is Colie. Now shuttup and help me with the others." Gabrian slicked his wet hair back, and started unbuttoning his wet jacket. "First off, don't wear your sorry self down. Take off your damned jacket and boots, we might have to go out in the water." 

"Back in the water.. right." Ian murmered, zipping his jacket down and kneeling to unlace his boots. "They're still out there?" 

Gabrian gave Ian a cold stare while kicking his shoes off and bundling them up with his jacket. "Well, gee Fresh. Do you see them around?" 

"No.. Oh." Pulling his jacket off, Ian gathered up his boots and looked at them strangely, wondering what to do with them before they were snatched from his palms by a very disgruntled Gabrian. Kneeling down, Gabrian bundled up his boots and jacket, moving them to cioncide one another and folding the sleeves upwards in a small package and tying it off with the jacket's waist belt. Flipping it over, he pushed in a few of the sides and tightened the waist belt, pulled the sleeves tighter to form a tidy little bundle. Looking over it appreciativly, Gabrian picked it up and tossed it to Ian hard, landing right in the younger boy's gullet with a thud. Looking over the bundle carefully, Ian let out a low whistle that brought a smug grin to Gabrian's face. "How did you do that?" 

"I've been SeeD since I was sixteen, damn it. I picked up a few things along the way. Simple shit.." Gabrian let out a heavy breath and shook his head, pointing towards the ocean. "Look, there they are. Come on, let's get them." 

Splashing through the waves until they were waist deep in the water, Ian and Gabrian began assisting their team mates from the waters, starting with the worse off. Giselle was being carried in by Irvine, her body limp and water logged and as soon as he reached walkable depths, he slung Giselle over his shoulder and carried her in his arms. Caching the scene in the corner of his eye, Gabrian helped Collete to her feet and handed her off to Ian before running towards Irvine and Selphie. Ian shook his head slowly and lifted Collete over his shoulder, ignoring her protesting cries that she was fine and able bodied to walk, and waited for Angie and Taelon to come up closer. On a quick inspection Ian noted that beside being soaked and exhausted, they were fine and healthy. When Collete's pounding and swearing on his back turned into scratching Ian set her down and was promptly kicked in the shin. 

"Oww, fuck, Cole, what the hell was that for?!" Ian screamed, hopping in the water. 

"When I say let me down, I mean it Ian!" Collete shouted. Using all her might she shoved Ian back into the waist deep water and partially walked and partially swam towards the shore. Snarling, Ian pushed himself upwards and got to his feet, staring at Taelon and Angie. 

"What? What're you two staring at?" He asked, making an attempt to get to the beach. 

Angie smiled serenly, wading herself towards shore arm in arm with Taelon. "I think she likes you, Ian, as in having a crush big time." 

"Huh? Come again Angie?" Ian scoffed. "Cole doesn't like me that way, she's not into all that relationship stuff." 

Taelon grinned, the feature on his face making Ian uncomfortable. "Actually, Collete's as soft as can be. Angie's her best friend, she should know. Cole puts on a tough outer core, like her dad but inside she's jelly. It's one of the few reasons I can stand her as a friend, and usually she acts tougher around guys. Mostly cause her dad brought her and Giselle up when Amie was in the hospital." 

"Cole's mom was in the hospital? When?" 

Angie sighed, and waited until they had reached the shore. Removing her sodden jacket, she smiled shyly and pressed the damp clothing against her chest. "Mrs. Dincht was in the hopsital after having a miscarraige after Cole and Gissy were born. There were some complications, and she had to have a hysterectomy. Mr. Dincht stayed with the girls, and took time off teaching them magic and how to fight. Cole takes up mostly after him. It's kind of nice." Looking downwards, Angie blushed bright red and whispered "Ian, is your shirt dry yet? If so, can I borrow it?" 

"I would if I could, but I didn't wear a shirt under the jacket." Looking ahead, he glanced at Gabrian and Giselle, and smirked coldy. Never once did the thought cross his mind that Gabrian of all people could care for someone else but himself, and eyt there he was, holding Giselle's hand and stroking her hair gently, asking her if there were anything possible for him to do to help her. Gabrian was soft and warm around her, yet a complete son of a bitch when around everyone else. Turning back to Taelon and Angie, Ian motioned towards the couple and shook his head slowly, smiling sarcastically at the events. "Man, can you believe those two?" 

Angie shook her head. "I feel sorry for Gabrian." 

"Sorry for Gabe?" Taelon asked, leaning in close. "Why for Gabe? I always felt sorry for Gissy to be dating him." 

"You see," Angie began. "Giselle's sort of tired of him. She's a man eater, I know this, since her last boyfriend before Gabe was Tristan Lindstrom. He was the head of the class until Gabe knocked him from the top, and she dumped Tristan for him." 

"Oh. I guess it's alright to feel sorry for Gabe then." Taelon glanced towards the boy, and shook his head sadly. "Poor guy, he's really head over heels for her." 

"He is. But she's caught eyes on someone else, someone apparently more popular than he is. She's a social climber, that one." Angie sighed and leaned into a rock, gingerly cracking her back in loud pops. "It's sad. Gabrian is a really nice guy, when he can be. A little rough around the edges, and with Contessa as his sister, well, he's got to make a name for himself somehow." 

Noting Ian's confusion, Taelon hastily started filling him in. "Contessa is Gabe's twin sister, and she's good at everything he's not. School, magic, keeping her head straight, the works. She's an instructor now, and Gabe's angry at himself for not being at least equal to her. It's a sad fact, really." 

"I didn't know sibling rivalry could be so bad." Ian grimaced, looking at Gabrian then back to Angie and Taelon. "I know Tae's a single boy, Angie, so how about you? Got any brothers and sisters?" 

Angie's face held a pained look and she gazed out into the ocean, ignoring Ian's question. Taelon pulled Ian close and whispered in his ear about Angie's sister, and her condition and how Angie herself almost came to perish from the same disease of the heart. Feeling incredibly stupid all of a sudden, Ian whispered an apology to ehr, but Angie merely held up a hand, and nodded, shaking her red head slightly. 

"It's okay. It's been a while. I should get on with my life." She whispered, her face becoming dull. "So, anyway. Ian, I do believe Cole likes you VERY much." 

"No way, Angie. No way." Ian snickered at the thought. "Cole liking me that way? Nuh uh. I mean, she's cute an' all, but she's one of the guys, ya know?" 

"I'm sure you kiss Taelon just as eagerly as you did to her, Ian." Angie grinned, showing a slightly chipped front tooth that just seemed to make her cuter. 

"What? Huh? Ian and I don't make out!" Taelon shouted, defending himself. "Wait.. kiss? Hmm? Ian, you ol' boy what are you hiding from me?" 

Ian grinned sheepishly, hiding his face with his hand. "Cole and I kissed that night Seifer came into the dance. Remember that night? Andhow did you know this, Miss Angelina Jesebeliv?" 

"I have my ways." Standing to her feet, Angie brushed the sand from her backside and held out a hand to the two boys infront of her. "Let's find a way to some shelter. Isn't there a cave or something around here?" 

"The tomb of the unknown King.." Taelon murmered. "My dad told me about it. My mom too. Let's go tell the others and get the hell off this cold beach." 

************************************************** 

He did it. A part of her was relieved he actually did, so maybe it would be less of a conflict on her frazzled mind. Yet the rest of her yearned for an explanation he wasn't willing to give, but she secretly knew. It was because of Seifer, of everyting aorund them that was happening, and driving her completely insane. Ordin was gone, giving her back the piece of her heart that she was still tentative on giving him, and he had escaped to Esthar again to resume his life the way it was before her, Ian, and Seifer. 

If only it was that easy for her to do the same. Sighing deeply, she leaned her head against the banister of the Garden's entrance and gazed up to the stars, listening to the eerie silence of the night. It a tranquil way it was calming, soothing, as the crisp cut grass entered her nostrils and stung her lungs with it's sweet smelling dew. Still, she marveled at the feel of it still. Was it always like this, or did her departure from her home so long ago make her lose sight of the pure beauty of Balamb? She was the beauty of Balamb, that she new. With her scarred face and fatherless son, no one would call her the beauty of anything lately. Feeling tired but unable to move, Quistis Trepe Almasy gazed into the world around her and wished she could remain this way, this feeling, forever. Gazing over everything, a motorcycle glistening in the moonlight, it's silver chrome seemingly winking at her, finally she felt like the watcher, instead of the watchee. 

Heavy, depressing foosteps pressed the grass into the earth behind her. Not feeling the need to turn at all, instinct told her to whom they belonged. Turning slightly when she felt a familiar form step carefully beside her, and remain there. 

"Any reason why you're still here?" She asked, the tone of her voice sweet even to his ears. 

"Even I don't know that one, Instructor." His low murmer echoed across the winds, circulating around her like an invisible aura. 

"I told you. I'm not an Instructor anymore." A sorrowful tone fell along side a sigh. "After all this time. Hmm." 

Seifer shrugged, and stepped forward, facing her. Looking up at him, in this moonlight, Quistis was reminded of a greek god, with his hair down and shining silver in the moon light. "So I heard about Ordin." 

"Did you rally?" She whispered, leaning against the pole again. "It never would have worked out any way." 

"How are you so sure?" 

"I had a feeling.." She trailed off, gazing past him to the horizon. "I knew it wouldn't work out." 

"Did you want it to work out?" Seifer whispered, following her gaze. "Or maybe..?" 

"I honestly don't know myself, Seifer." Quistis turned her gaze to him, fatigue crippling her will. "I really don't know." 

Shrugging nonchalant, Seifer moved away from her and towards the motorcycle, watching it silently. Reaching a hand out to it, he began to stroke the frame gently, as if careful not to dent it with his fingertips before breaking the silence. "You're hurting. Aren't you." 

"No." 

"I can feel you, Quistis. You're sending off vibes like crazy." Gazing back at her, Seifer extended a hand towards her, and shoved his other in his pocket. 

"What is it?" She asked, her tired form preventing her mind from thinking too clearly. 

"Take a ride with me?" 

A line of confusion crossed her face, cutting into the faded scar. "Who's bike is that anyway?" 

"Zell's. I found the keys and he said go ahead." 

"Oh." Quistis looked up at him curiously. "Drive... Where?" 

He shrugged, and kept his hand waiting outstretched to her while jingling the keys in his coat pocket. "No where in particular. Just a drive." 

Hesitating for a moment, Quistis lifted her own tiny hand into his, and let him lead the way. Slinging a leg over the front seat, Seifer waited until she was ready before roaring the engine to life and letting her get used to the feel. Together in almost a split second they roared into the night on a desolate road, just the two of them alone since what felt like forever. Her grip on his midsection tightened almost painfully, and he let out a grunt of surprise and she loosened her hold. 

The moonlit sky, the shining stars seemed to glisten at her, winking, telling her of what the fates had in store for her. All of it seemed to shine brightly, as if hoping for a better tomorrow. Heaving a sigh, the tears fell down her face painfully, torching each part of shin they trailed down, a sob escaped her throat that she desperately tried to keep within. 

His hand gripped hers tightly, then a gentle touch that was both caring and loving, and she let her tears fall freely into his shirt. That night she sobbed her heart out lifelessly, silently, underneath the endless sky with the man she knew in her heart, was meant to be the one. 

********************************************** 

"Truth or dare... Taelon." Giselle sweetly murmered, giving Taelon a wicked gleam. "Truth.... or dare." 

Taelon shifted uneasily in his sitting position, and coughed. after an approximate hour of boredom, the group took it upon themselves to entice one another in a game of Truth or Dare. Giselle had volunteered to venture in being the first one to begin, as each teen huddled away from her eyesight in fear that they'd be on the recieving end of her question. With the Instructors already making camp in a different part of the tomb for Selphie to nurse her sprained ankle she recieved when she stepped in a deep hole in the sand, and Irvine telling the children he trusted them to watch themselves and eachother, of course they took this moment to fool around and relieve the stress of the day. The attack of the monster forced all of them to act as adults, immediately throwing away their childhoods and taking charge. This one evening, this one game, was enough to finally pull them back into their devoid childhood and feel at least for a moment relaxed. 

"Truth." Taelon said, the nervous tone in his voice betraying his emotions. "Can't go wrong with truth." 

"Okay.. fine then." Tilting her head prettily, Giselle smiled and and glanced form side to side, eyeing everyone around her. "Who is it you have a crush on?" 

Taelon paled in an instant, as everyone's attention suddenly came on him. "I...I have a c-c-crush?" 

"Of course you do, Tae." Giselle said. "Everyone does. So come on, do tell, who is it?" 

Ian's hand snaked out to grip Taelon's forearm gently "You don't gotta tell man. Just pick dare." 

"I have to say it, Ian." Taelon murmered. "It's part of the game. Alright. Fine. Giselle, I have a crush on.. Erm." 

"Come on, say it already." Gabrian hissed. "It's not like no one's ever had a crush on someone before, Shrimp." 

"Don't call me shrimp, Gabe. And.." Taelon coughed out the name, but it was still heard well. "It's Angie." 

"Angie?!" Giselle nearly shrieked, her face growing redder by the second. "Of all people, Angie?" She trailed her eyes to the petite red headed girl and hushed her lips, mumbling out an apology before silencing her rant. Angie's serene gaze felt over Giselle, and then finally to Taelon where her eyes rested pleasantly. Ian tried to decipher the look she gave his friend and could only come up with a slight hint of awe and pleasure with a bit of laughter in her eyes. Not the cruel, taunting sort, but the pleasureable one, as if she felt the same? The shy smile that appeared in a sweet curve on her lips confirmed Ian's thoughts, and he sat back smugly, a game of matchmaker running along in his head. 

Shame Taelon didn't see it himself. "Truth or dare, Gabrian." He snarled. 

Gabrian lifted an arched brow and smirked, leaning back against the wall and draping an arm around Giselle's shoulder. "Sure. I call truth, Shrimp." 

"Truth, did you know Giselle is waiting for he right time to dump your ass because she's got someone else in the wings?" He growled, pulling his collar away from his neck due to the rising heat in his veins. 

"What?" Gabrian murmered, staring hard at Taelon's angry form. "What do you mean?" 

"Your little girlfriend is pining for someone else." Taelon stood up and brushed his pants off, giving one last look at Giselle's scared face and Gabrian's angry snarl. "Fuck this, I'm outta here." 

"Taelon!" Ian shouted after him, and gave up when the younger boy's form slipped into the darkness. Revealing that he cared for Angie more than friends was taking a large toll on him, Ian figured. He was always a shy kid, with a smart wit, so he hid it well. "Alright. Everyone, calm down. Gabe, your turn to call." 

Gabe looked at Giselle and tried catching her eyes with his, to no avail. "Fine.. Fine. Ian, Truth or dare." 

"Dare man. Truth is bugging everyone up these days." Ian grinned. "Lay it on me." 

"Alright." Gabrian murmered, looking around the the cave walls. "I dare you.. To go directly to the King's tomb, and bring back proof you were there!" 

"What? Are you nuts?" Ian began, shaking his head. "I'd get lost in this damned place!" 

"Not entirely." Reaching into his pack, Gabrian pulled out an old, tattered piece of paper, worn with age and grime. "This is the map Colie and Gissy's dad had years ago when they came here on a mission. It's a map of this place, including the whereabouts of the Tomb." 

Handing Ian the map, Gabrian grinned while watching the younger boy look at the paper. Rolling it over in his hands, Ian shook his head and started to hand it back. "I can't read this, it's too old. And I can't tell which way it up on it." 

Snatching the paper back, Gabrian growled "Fine. I'll go with you Fresh. Just to see if you've got guts to at least go to the tomb." 

"I got the guts, Gabe. Do you?" 

"You bet, Fresh." 

Collette stood up and gripped Ian's arm tightly in her own hands, staring up at him with her sky blue eyes. "Ian, please. Just be careful, alright?" 

"Cole, when am I not?" Giving another glance to Gabrian, Ian stiffened his frame and nodded. "Let's go, Gabe." 

"Hmm. Think you can keep up fresh?" Gabrian sneered, pulling a flashlight from his pocket and gazing at the map. "Well, it's a long haul, kid." 

"Shuttup and move." Ian hissed, stepping past Gabrian into the dark tunnel. "Let's just see who's chicken shit now." 

**************************************** 

Zell walked out into the Balamb fields, and looked over the silently swaying grass, exhaling his breath and watching it float up into the air. It was these nights when he wondered where he was going, his direction in his life and how to take it. He was still a part of Garden, still taught there, with Amie and their daughters still a big part of the floating easter egg like structure. Reflecting on how close he came to losing his beautiful wife, Zell still felt shudders down his spine when his wife's complications with the second birth of what would be their son nearly cost her his life, (his life, he always figured, since she definetely was it) and how his twin girls would handle it. Life with out Amie was no life at all, in his eyes. 

Loving, feminine arms trailed across his abdomen and held tightly to his stomach, running her fingers alongside each chisled muscle. Zell turned around and gleamed happily in his wife's beautiful chocolate eyes, and pulled her into a strong embrace. Nuzzling his nose against hers, he breathed in her scent and exhaled deeply, merely her company causing him to entice with joy. Reaching down to stroke her cheek, gave a feather soft whisper kiss to her lips and trailed from her cheek to her hair, whispering his adoration and love to her. 

"Zell.." Amie whispered, leaning back in his arms. "I miss the girls.." 

"I know Amie." Zell whispered, kissing her hair. "I miss them too. But they're growing up.." 

"I don't want them to grow up, Hon.." Amie whispered, leaning into Zell's hard chest. "I'm so sorry Zell.." 

"Babe," Zell whispered, pulling Amie away from him. "It's not your fault. It just sorta happened, you know? Besides, I'm glad you're still here so you can watch our girls grow up." 

"I know, Zell.." Amie whispered. Looking up into his eyes, she saw the stars dance in the cobalt blue of his eyes. "I just wish.." 

"Stop wishing, Amie." He whispered, giving her a lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth. "I've stopped wishing long ago, because all my dreams came true the second I met you, the minute I married you, and the hour our little girls were born. I love you honey, please, stop fretting, okay?" 

"Oh Zell.." She whispered, burying her face in his shoulder again. "You're too good to me." 

"Only because I don't deserve you." A slight twinkling smile formed on his lips and he chuckled. "So maybe if I treat you good I won't lose you to someone better eh?" 

Amie grinned up at him, and watched how the moonlight highlighted his face, making him look like a Norse God. Lifting her fingers to his cheek, she stroked gently along the side of his face and smiled, a giggle forming in her throat. "Zell Dincht if you ever left me I believe I would have to hunt you down and hurt you!" 

"Heh heh.. That's why I dont think I could ever live with out you, Ames." Taking her hands into his, Zell pressed her nimble fingers against his chest, his face becoming serious. "Promise me you'll never leave, Amie?" 

"Only if you promise to live forever." She whispered. 

"Sure, I promise." 

"Oh Zell, how can you make a promise like that?" Amie smiled, gently slapping Zell's arm. 

"Hey, if I don't, what are you gonna do about it?" Pulling her back in his arms, Zell continued to kiss his way down her neck to her shoulder, lingering there for just a moment while living in her scent. Almost losing the love of his life made him nearly go insane, instilling the teachings of magic and fighting to his daughters like mad. It would come in handy now, yet he still regretted forcing the gloves on Giselle when Collete was the one who wanted to beat the living stuffing out of the trainging dummy. Those two, he thought, were so different yet so alike it was frightening. They knew about their hatred and love for one another, Collete's firey side and Giselle's materialistic status. It wasn't easy, but they could raise them with their likes and hates with one another, and frankly, Zell thought he was doing a fairly decent job, and Amie doing a wonderful job. 

Looking over the fields, his eyes caught on an empty space, and he shot himself awake. Amie was startled, and glanced up at him curiously. 

"Zell?" She asked, her voice ringed with confusion. "What's wrong?" 

"Amie?" Zell began, letting her go. "Did you put my bike away?" 

**************************************************** 

"So." Ian muttered. "This is the great tomb of the Unknown King, hmm?" 

"Sure is." Gabrian sneered, steeping infront of Ian to touch the stone coffin. "My mom told me that your mom, Commander Squall and Giselle's dad came here and set the king free. So it's just a closed sarcophogus." A cryptic smile came to his lips. "Maybe even a dead body..." 

"A..A..Dead body?" Ian stammered, his eyes widening. "What? No way!" 

"Way. They just released the spirit, not clean the tomb." Gabrian stepped behind Ian and shoved the youth forward, resulting in Ian slamming almost painfully against the coffin. "There's your dare. I dare you to look inside, and see if it's there. If it is, take a piece of bone or something back to the others." 

"Gabe, you should _not_ mess around with this type of shit, man." Ian whispered, stepping away. "No way in fucking hell am I touching that." 

"Do it, Fresh." Gabe demanded. "Or I'll tell everyone how you chickened out." 

Casting one last glance at Gabrian, Ian tentivly reached out and touched the lid of the stone coffin, and began to push it aside. Grunting out the strength, Ian stopped psuhing to catch his breath, while behind him Gabrian clicked his tongue in disappointment. Stepping forward and shoving Ian aside, Gabrian started moving the lid slowly, and succeeded when Ian came up beside him and started shoving as well. Slowly the lid removed itself and fell behind the coffin, emmiting the musky stench of rotting bones and flesh. 

"Oh...MAN!" Ian shouted, waving a hand infront of his face and stepping back. "It smells like a dead body in there!" 

"That's because it IS a dead body you dumbass!" Gabrian hissed, gripping his nose and gazing in the tomb. "Yep, the old man's still in there, Fresh. Get to grave robbin'." 

"Man.." Ian hissed, and leered into the coffin before him. Behind him he could hear Gabrian's muffled laughter at making him do this little task. Gazing inside, Ian felt a sense of loss about him, a feeling of coldness for the dead being infront of him. Whispering a praye, he readched inside and closed his eyes, feeling a tiny _*snap*_ of a rib bone before be closed his hand around the piece. 

"Alright.. I've got it, Gabrian." Ian hissed. Turning around, he showed Gabrian the piece of bone he held in his hand and Gabrian nodded in approval. 

"Smart. Now come on, close the lid and let's go." Turning on his heel, gabrian held his back to him and waved a hand in frustration. "I said let's go!" 

Shaking his head, Ian turned on his heel and began to follow Gabrian out from the tomb. A sharp sound made him turn back, and cast a glance at the sarcophogus, and nearly made him scream. 

A bright light made shadows dance on the wall with evil certainty, casting the sights of faces long gone and the demons who took them away from life. 

Ian stared, perplexed at each dancing shadow on the wall. They called out to him, danced for him, and sung to him, only him it seemed. not to Taelon, and definetely not to Gabe, but to him. Enticing him, seducing him, he couldn't help but reach out and touch them.. 

"IAN!!!!" Gabrian screamed, watching a bright light snake out and grab the other youth's arm. Ian stared perplexed, dazed, unafraid unlike Gabrian who was frozen to the floor. A scream of angony from Ian snapped him awake, and he ran towards the younger man and gripped his body, trying to pull the both of them away. A snake like beam of light lashed out and gripped Ian's forearm harshly, burning into his skin as the smell of burnt flesh lingered in both their noses. 

"....oh....my...Hyne....in...heaven..." Ian murmered, the shock in his bones playing with his ability to think. His body growing cold, Ian's eyes rolled in the back of his head and his body began convulsing in pain, his shouts becoming bleaker and scarcer until his throat was hoarse. 

With one last burst of energy Gabrian yanked on Ian's body hard, and finally broke the bond of the Tomb. Stumbling backwards, Ian's convulsing body fell on top of his, and he shoved him off gently while fishing around for a flashlight. 

"Fuck... Ian? IAN!? Oh shit.." Gabrian tried to still Ian's shaking to no avail. The younger boy's seizuring steadily got worse, along with Gabrians screams until finally they ceased. 

"Shit.. Shit.. Ian, man wake up.. wake up.." Gabrian cried out, staring into Ian's blank, pale dead face. "Oh man.. dude I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.." 

Behind the corner a very nervous Taelon walked in upon hearing the screams. Never in his wild life would he ever imagine seeing the sight before him, a deadly calm Ian and a crazy Gabrian, who was stiffling over the body and cursing at every God that ever lived. Stepping closer, Taelon whispered low, so low that gabrian barely caught it. 

"Dear Hyne.. You killed Ian.. Gabrian.." Taelon took a step away, and Gabrian's eyes went wide with shock. 

"No.. No, Taelon I didn't, I swear to fucking God. Dude, look, just get help, get help, NOW!" Gabrian scrambled to his feet and ran towards Taelon desperately. Taelon shoved his hands out infront of him and gripped the frantic boy tihgtly by the shoulders. 

"Hey, chill out! Alright? Pick up Ian and let's go to Instructor Kinneas. He'll fix this.. this.." Taelon trailed off. 

Needing no other initiative, Gabrian kneeled down and slung the smaller boy over his shoulder. Handing the map to Taelon, he barked out orders to Taelon on how to read the map, and then they both ran the rest of the way to the caping grounds. In his heart, Gabrian sank deeper and deeper into the pit of dispair. Someway, some how, he knew, that this incident would change all their lives. Forever. 


	14. Alive

Alive   
******** 

Gabrian never knew what exactly hit him. He recalled it much later like a two by four smashing the hell out of his facial structure, and then what seemed like liquid trickling out of each orifice on his face. The mind altering pain that set in quickly numbed out any feeling until another two by far smashed into the other side of his face, and crunch the rest of his bones into dust. A feminine shout tricked his mind into ease and he opened his eyes, this time to view the uncoming onslaught just intime to barely stop it with an upraised fist. The blow was blocked with a grunt, and soon he felt light, weightless and airy as if he was lifted off the ground. Hot breath snarled into his face and hands clenched around his collar and was sealing the breath from his lungs. 

"Seifer! Stop! Now!" Fujin's grim female voice screamed. Behind her Raijin grunted in frustration as he held a very angry Quistis Trepe in place. 

"Stop? _Stop?!_" Seifer shouted, wretching free from Fujin's grasps. "That little.. Bastard killed my kid!" 

"Seifer, he didn't kill him ya know?!" Raijin's voice rang out over the commotion. "Ian's fine! He's just sorta outta it ya know?!" 

Dropping Gabrian roughly, Seifer cursed and ran a hand through his hair. "So? This little bastard was the last one around to see him walking, talking.. Normal! How the hell could this have happened? He was supposed to be watching them!" 

"Seifer, stop. Enough." Fujin said, stepping infront of Seifer's enraged body. "Seifer.. as your friend I must remind you that to worry won't help Ian at all. He needs everyone to be calm, and quiet. His parents screaming and ranting about won't do anything to improve the matter." 

"Fuu.. My son... Is laying in the infirmary as we apeak." Running both hands through his hair, Seifer sat down on a bench in the halls, glancing one way to Gabrian then back at his wife. "The lights are on, but no one's home. How the hell am I supposed to react!? Bring everyone flowers and cookies and say 'Don't worry, guys! Ian will be just fine!'? I can't Fuu. I can't say that because I don't know it myself.." 

Behind Fujin an angry Quistis broke free from Raijin's grasps. before anyone could stop her she grabbed Gabrian by the collar and screamed into his face, shouting for an explanation while he attempted to pull away. Fujin grabbed Quistis from underneath her arms and threw her down to the floor a bit more roughly than need be, and attempted to calm her down with soothing words. Raijin stepped towards Seifer and placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. motion for Gabrian to leave their sight at the moment, now. Scrambling to his feet Gabrian nodded and ran towards the elevator, looking back over his shoulder before escaping into the glass doors, sealing him from harm. 

"Look, why don't you go to the infirmary, ya know?" Raijin muttered, fatigue tiring his voice. "You'll do a lot better by the boy if you're next to him, and not going crazy on the Headmaster's son, ya know?" 

"Fine..Fine." Seifer mumbled. Coughing out a bit of fatigue himself, he quietly excused himself and made his way to the ouside of the infirmary. For the first time, he'd have a long, decent chat with his own son, who's existance was denied him for almost eighteen years. How long had he hoped for the chance to sit beside Ian, and just.. talk? Too long, Seifer figured. Yet now he would have the chance. 

Ian just wouldn't speak back. 

********************************************** 

Collete Dincht wiped another tear from her wetness stained face and shuddered out a long breath. She tried to remember the last time she shed a tear for anyone, and found it was when she lost her best friend Agatha DeLorne in a car accident. Before that, when her mother was in the hospital, miscarrying her baby brother. Other than she couldn't remember before age three, and she refused to. Yet now she was sitting here, sobbing her heart out as a blank, mentally challenged Ian stared back at her. Every few minutes he would slowly lift a hand upwards to her face, and gently slap her, and she would snap awake from her sobs and cast an eerie look at him, only to see that same blank stare, with a little bit of saliva dripping from his lips. 

"Oh, Ian.." Collete whispered, casting a mournful gaze at him. "Hyne.. how could this have happened? Gabrian's getting his ass chewed out because of this. You're.. You're.. Like this. I can't even say it." 

A soft moan from Ian's throat caused her to giggle incoherently. Looking into his semi blank face, her heart tore in two. He was a far cry from the guy who was one of her best friends. Ian was lively, happy, not in a catatonic state of intervention, where he simply dibbled out of the corner of his mouth and tried to make contact with the outside world. With a pained gesture, Collete lifted a napkin from the side of the bed and wiped his chin with it, and tossed it into the trash. With what little control he had, he tried to prevent himself from being so incredibly feeble, yet failed. Collete took his hand in hers and squeezed the limp limb, and tried to smile. 

"It's okay babe." She whispered, bringing his cold hand to her cheek. "I can do it. You don't need to waste your strength. I don't know what happened in that tomb.. I wish Gabe would speak up. We might be able to cure this thing you've got yet, huh?" 

Collete gazed into his eyes, and rendered them blank. Sighing, she plucked another napkin from the table beside her and wiped his forehead with it, taking note that his skin was already dry. Looking at the heart monitors, she breathed a heavy breath and looked back towards Ian, who gazed up at her with what she could only describe as confusion. 

"Don't look at me like that. I don't know what's going on." She leaned back in her seat and rested her hand on her face. "I should tell you now. I might never get the chance to ever do so again, Ian." 

Ian moaned incoherently and slammed a fist into the bed's mattress. Concerned, Collete lurched upwards and grabbed his hand, steadying it in her grip until his body eased down. Sitting back in her chair, she rested her face against her palm again and sighed, opening her heart to speak instead of her mind. 

"Truth or dare Ian.. I pick truth? Ask me who I've got a crush on, I wouldn't say you." She waited for a reaction, but got nothing. "I couldn't say you, Ian. I don't know how to put this. I really don't. I've never met anyone like you, and at first I thought it was a crush. But it's not. When I see my mom and dad.. I sorta see us in their place. I can't tell you when you're able bodied enough to laugh at me. But Ian.. I think I love you." 

Ian turned sharply in his bed and cast Collete with a confused glance, and then a vacant stare, as if just looking at her turned him into stone. Stroking his forehead, Collete pursed her lips together as she watched him and heaved a heavy sigh. 

"Hyne Ian.. Just look at you. Those eyes, that hair, your body." She shook her head giggling at herself for just thinking of those thoughts. "I can't believe I said that outloud. There's so much more to you, Renzuka, the Hawk. You're so.. I don't know the word. Beautiful? It doesn't do you justice. Even now, you're one of the most beautiful people I know. You can't understand me, Ian. But I love you. If you do understand me, then, well, when you get better we'll talk.. please?" 

Ian merely stared at her, nothing portraying his own emotions. Crumpling her brows together, Collete leaned over and gingerly laid a kiss on his forehead, tasting the dry skin on her lips. Looking back at him, she wondere dif this was like a new born baby, unknown and unheard of the evils of the world. The dread coming back full strong, Collete let a full sob escape her throat and choke her, making her unable to speak very clearly. 

"Ian... I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you, I swear. I'll go to the tomb." She whispered, pulling his hand to her cheek. "I'll go to the tomb.. and I'll find out what did this to you.. and I'll m-make it r-right.." 

A screeching moan shocked Collete from her aching sob. Ian's body trashed on the bed as if he were stabbed by a million knives, his aching cries seemingly begging for release. An alarm was released by his thrashings, and Collete shrieked when she saw him suddenly bang his ankle against the side railing painfully, and she heard a bone crack sharply against the metal frame. Jumping back started, Collete watched in awe'd fear as he screamed his very first words since coming back from the Tomb of the unknown king. 

"Dddddoooonttt..." Ian moaned loudly, his voice sounding like a phantom. 

Leaning in Collete pushed her hair behind her ear and urged him to continue. "Ian, hurry! They'll be here soon! Tell me, please?" 

His hand snaked out and reached for her collar, yanking her painfully close. Hissing the words into her ear, Collete was suddenly yanked back by a pair of strong male arms, while a rose scented blur flew past her to Ian's bedside. Feeling herself set roughly against the wall, a loud voice blared at her with questions while another sweet, calming feminine voice soothed and comforted until the alarms on Ian's bedside finally subsided. Blinking back tears, Collete looke dup into the angry frustrated face of Seifer Almasy, and his wife Quistis Trepe as she lay over her son's shaking body. 

"The hell is going on here?!" Seifer shouted into her face. "Collete, what the hell happened?!" 

"I-I-I.. M-Mister Almasy..?!" Collate stammered. "I-I'm not sure, he j-just started t-to.." 

"Collete, please," Quistis said, turning to look at her. "Go get help okay? Please, just go get Doctor Kadowaki." 

Collete nodded dumbly, avoiding Seifer's piercing gaze. Taking off down the halls, she sought out the doctor and finally found her in the cafeteria, eating lunch pleasantly. After explaining what had occured, Kadowaki left her ortion unfinished on the table and ran towards the Infirmary, half expecting Collete to be hot on her heals. Instead, Collete sat down at a table, resting her body while running through her mind the words Ian tore into her skull. 

_"Dow gow.. tootaa..toomb..."_

Don't go to the tomb..? 

_...deeeth..isss..._

Death is...? 

_waaaiitt...ing.._

Waiting. 

******************************* 

"He just started.. hitting me." Gabrian muttered. Giselle beside him pressed an antiseptic cloth to the cut on his lip, and winced when his hiss of pain sounded. "I don't get it. He hasn't known Ian all his life and yet he.." 

"He's still his son." Giselle murmered sweetly, throwing the cloth away after she had cleaned up Gabrian's lip. "I guess it's some sort of paternal instinct." 

"Yeah. Right. The paternal instinct of a nutcase." Gabrian scoffed. "I can't believe I still have to talk to Instructor Tillmit and Kinneas about this. I told them all that happened." Another hiss from his lips when Giselle reached upwards to clean the cut on his forhead. "For Hyne's sake woman, leave it alone!" 

"Oh yeah?" Taelon growled. He set the book he was reading face down in his lap and leaned back in the sofa he was sitting in. "I haven't talked to my mom or dad about it yet, and I just know what's gonna happen. 'Taelon you shouldn't have run off! What if it happened to you?' all that bullshit. Ian's laying in bed like he's had a stroke, and all they're gonna do is complain about how it could have been me." 

"Man.. Shuttup, Shrimp!" Gabrian snapped angirly. "At least your parents ARE there to go 'Poor widdle boy!' Where the hell are my parents? Where the hell are me and my sisters' parents, the ever elusive Garden Masters? Off galavalanting across the ages trying to fund this damned Garden instead of being here with us." Gabrian smothered a scoff and leaned back in his seat, grabbing Giselle's wrist tightly in his own before she could administer another hand of medicine to his face. "I said, leave it alone!" 

"Your parents love you, man." Taelon murmered. "They want the best for you." 

"Shrimp, sometimes I can take you, and sometimes I just wanna smash your face in." Snarling, Gabrian ignored Giselle's angry stare and continued on, leaning on his knees and giving Taelon a hard cold stare. "My mother raised everyone's parents, including Trepe's. After she had me and Tessa, you know what she did? She discovered she pretty much still liked kids, and reopened her damned orphanage! As soon as we wer able to walk, we were shuttered off to some fucking nanny while she took care of _other_ kids. Edea wasn't there for me _or_ Tessa, and Cid was too busy training _your_ dad to be around me and Tessa!" 

"Gabrian, please.." Giselle began, laying both hands on his arm. "Leave him alone." 

"No, Gissy." Gabrian snarled. "I want him to know why I'm sick and tired of hearing his tirades about how his parents always bug into his life. The real reason Tessa's excelled so damned much is just so Cid and Edea would at least give her the fucking time of day instead of taking in crack babies, orphans, or whatever the hell Edea picks off the streets. My sister busted her ass to be an Instructor here, and they _still_ didn't even care. She almost even broke _your_ mom's record, and that's a major asset to itself. Stop bitching about how your parents are always into your life. Be fucking glad they're alive in your heart enough to participate." 

Breathing heavily, Gabrian slumped back in his seat, and didn't question Giselle's newly founded nurturing of his wounds. Taelon gazed at Gabrian for a long while, letting the older boy's words sink in. Cid and Edea Kramer were heralded as the wonderful Masters of Garden, the sole people who began this great place with the help of the Shumi tribe. Not what Gabrian described, parents who had left their children to tend to others more in need. 

"Gabe.. I'm sorry." Taelon began. "I didn't know." 

"Shrimp... Don't. Okay? Just don't. I know. I'm fucking selfish, but ya know? Just once I woulda liked my straight A report card on a refridgerator somewhere." Shaking his head, Gabrian looked away and shoved Giselle off of him, staring at the wall. "I wanted parents. I wanted a mother who wasn't a fucking sorceress. A father who didn't look like that guy who played Patch Adams. Normal, happy, well to do parents." 

"Try living up to my father's name." Taelon started. "Or Giselle's dad. Saviors of the universe. Everyone expected me to take up the Gunblade, but I wanted the Sharp Shot like my mom. That damned thing is too heavy." 

"People wanted me to fight like Collete, but I hate fighting." Giselle murmered, sitting on the edge of the sofa she and Gabrian shared. "I like magic. I hate getting my hands dirty.,. thats why I chose the staff as a weapon. It helps me direct easier." Slinking down in her seat, Giselle frowned slightly, sniffling a little. "Colie and I are as different as night and day. But people still come up to me and ask me if Colie's gonna teach a karate class, or something. No one asks me about magic.. and they don't really care either." 

"What can we say?" Gabrian sneered to the wall. "We're all fucked up. Gissy's gonna be compared to Cole all her life, I'm gonna be a non orphan, and Shrimp's gonna be the straight arrow." 

"I stole from my dad." Taelon whispered. 

Gabrian's eyes widened, and he turned around to face Taelon in shock. "What? You did what?" 

"For Ian, I mean." Taelon hissed. "I.. stole his dad's personal records from the office, and his mom's too. They both attended here, and Ian's first basis here was to get some info and get out. I guess that changed when he met everyone.." 

"I don't believe it." Giselle murmered. 

Gabrian smirked slightly, shaking his head slowly. "Tae, you can get your ass expelled for that, you dipshit. Not even your dad could save you from that. Why'd ya do it for Ian?" 

"You don't understand. Ian's alone in everything." Taelon murmered, crossing his arms over his chest protectivly. "And I mean, everything." 

"Doesn't he have friends in Esthar?" Giselle chirped in. "I mean, everyone has friends." 

"Now he does." Taelon cast a sidelong glance at the pair, and huddled closer, folding his fingers together. "Look, you guys promise not to tell him I said anything? Or tell anyone?" 

After their nods, Taelon took a deep brath and continued. "In Esthar, Ian didn't have many friends. He had a few aquintances, including Saigon Seagil, but that's it. Doesn't show it, but he's bitter as hell about Seifer not being there, even when he thought he was dead. Mrs. Trepe did a good job raising him as well she could, but the only male figure he ever had in his life was my Grandpa. He's pretty much self taught in the way of the whip, but he was a big time loner. When he came here, all that changed. He loves it here, even if he thought all he'd do is sneak in, get information, sneak out." 

"Poor Ian." Giselle murmered. "I didn't know." 

"Yeah. Hard to find Fresh would be that way." Gabrian murmered. 

"Well it's true. There's other shit that happened then, but that's mostly all you need to know." Sitting back in his seat, Taelon rolled his head back and cracked his neck. "I've had you guys all my life, even if it was hell, Gabe, but Ian's had no body." 

Gabrian shook his head slowly, trying to let this info sink in. "Not even Fresh should feel that way." 

"No one should, ever." Giselle chimed in. "And now, look at Ian. The lights are on.." 

"But no one's home." Taelon finished for her. "Is Cole still with him?" 

"She hasn't left his bedside until he had that seizure this morning." Giselle whispered. She lay her head on Gabrians shoulder, and motioned for his arm to come around her shoulder. When he complied, she whispered 'thank you' in his ear which resulted in him tightening his grip. "More than likely she's working off her frustrations in the Training Center or crying in our room." 

"She really loves him, doesn't she?" Taelon asked, and Giselle nodded. "I hope for her sake he feels the same. When Angie and I talked to him about it when we washed ashore, he was really in denial about it." 

"You and Angie talked to him about it?" Giselle asked, lifting her head and looking at Taelon with a bit of confusion. "Was he in the denial of oh-no-I-hate-her or denial of oh-n-this-is-too-good-to-be-true?" 

"I don't know." Taelon shrugged. "You'd have to ask Angie." 

"I hope it's the latter." Giselle murmered, laying her head back on Gabrian's shoulder. "Cole needs to get laid anyways." 

"That's a sick, crude way of stating it." Taelon grumbled. "She's your sister, you shouldn't talk about her like that." 

"I love Cole, Tae, but sometimes she can be _so_ highstrung." Giselle smiled. "Besides, she's never actually had a true boyfriend. Just good or great male friends. This, with her liking Ian, proves to me that she's not a lesbian." 

"If she was, would you like her or hate her more?" 

"Wouldn't change a thing, but it's answer a thing or two." Lifting her wrist to her face, Giselle stared at her watch for a few seconds and then let go a heavy breath. "Guys, it's time to go face the music. Let's get going to the Headmaster's office, and stop by Angie's dorm along the way. It's gonna be a long day." 

******************************** 

Seifer smoked. 

He couldn't help it. The years of stress passing by so quickly just rained down upon him, and he needed a break. So while out in the cold winds, his superior offered him a cancer stick and he took it, smoked it, and liked it. The high he got off the niccotine was incredible, and it soothed his nerves and took his mind off _her_ and _them_ for a while. 

And now he was breaking Garden Policy and smoking in the Infirmary, every once in a while casting a side glance to his son, and wincing with an unknown emotion. Every few seconds the boy would jerk suddenly, shudder and stare straight ahead, the only signs of life that he held. Seifer shook his head and blew a mouthful of smoke out the window screen and sighed. 

"The hell is wrong with you? Why don't you just wake up?" Seifer growled. "Would you obey me if I was your mother?" 

Ian's body only jerked and looked away. Grunting, Seifer stubbed out the butt of his cigarette and threw it in the trash, exhaling out the window again. "I don't get it. I never knew you existed. How could you hate me so damned much? I don't even know if I love you." 

Silence again. Cursing, Seifer pondered on whether to get another cigarette form his pack, and decided against it. "Okay, I deserve that. Maybe I'm wrong. I guess I do love you. Not a whole lot. Wait, I do love you a whole lot. I don't know. Being a father out of the blue with out nine months to prepare is hard, Ian." 

Not even a jerk of his leg, or a wince in his twisted face to aknowledge Seifer's presence. Gritting his teeth, Seifer yanked out another cigarette and lit with a controlled fire, sucking in a lungful of smoke and exhaling out the window. "For Quisty, Ian. For Quisty. Come on, you gotta snap outta this. I know most of this is just a put on. I been there. In a coma, you understand?!" 

Nothing again, except for the slightest hint of light in Ian's eyes. Seifer shook his head slowly and paced the Infirmary. his steps heavy with dread. "No. You don't understand. You're catatonic, scared. Stressed and unsure. Meeting me and seeing me was the worst night of your life, yeah, I can see that. Your life turned upside down.. because of me." Another drag off his cigarette and Seifer calmed down slightly, exhaling out the window. "But fuck, kid, what was I supposed to do? I didn't know you existed! I loved your mom. I fucking fell in love with her, and then.. damn it." 

Hesitantly, Ian turned his face towards him. The eyes, both of them, Seifer thought, miss matched but glorious were filled with a mixture of hate and awe. The slight twitch of the blue one still insued that Ian was out of normal reality, yet could still listen, could still understand. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth, and Seifer pondered whether or not to wipe it away with a napkin and risk losing a finger, or let it fall and possibly blister his skin, and cause an embarassment unknown to the male species. 

Almost mesperized, he watched as the gleaming trail coursed down his cheek and puddled at his pillow beside his ear before opting for the risk. Taking a napkin Seifer gingerly wiped away the drool that accumilated on his sons' face and threw the napkin away, almsot disgusted with himself for doing such an act. "Your mother is talking to the doctor." He stated mater of factly. "Seeing what else can be done with you. I stayed here because I wanted to talk to you, and I know in this condition your fat mouth wouldn't scream and hollar in my direction, so I guess you're gonna just have to fucking listen." 

A slight hiss from Ian's chapped lips and Seifer shook his head, pulling another cigarette from his pack. "Kid, I haven't known you for more than two weeks and already you're causing me to chain smoke. Just like any son of mine would. I'm surprised your mother hasn't been up to a pack a day by now." 

Ian sneered up at him again, blinking his missmatched eyes and looking straight at the ceiling again. Seifer scoffed and lit his cigarette aflame with another Fire. "What can I say, Ian? Your mother and I.. we've been where you are now. Lights are on, no one's home. Well your mom has been. Me? I was just conked cold out. Except this time you're alive and well, just can't control everything in your body at the moment." Puffing out smoke, he leaned his hand against the guardrail of the bed and turned his body away, running a hand through the loose pony tail he had at the nape of his neck. "I don't know what the hell else to say, except that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't grow up with you, watch you become the person you are today. If I could change it.. Damn it, I would. But.. Shit. We have nothing in common. Nothing. How the hell are we going to actually find some common ground and start something beside a fight?" 

Lost in his thoughts, Seifer never felt the hand on his wrist until it tightened nearly painfully, along with the thrashing of his son against the bed. Snapping around, he blinked twice before realizing it was Ian's fingers encasing his forearm. Quelling the urge to react, he watched in facination as Ian pulled his hand to his lips, and cupped the end of the cigarette between them, taking a long drag before letting his arm go. Blowing the smoke up to the ceiling, Ian gazed at his father with blank eyes and just stared, cryptically, as if trying to send a message. 

"I.. don't believe it." Seifer murmered. "You're a smoker?" 

After a shuddering breath from Ian, Seifer's fears became obsolete while he watched the smoke drift from his son's lips and nose. Sitting down slowly, Seifer stared at his son in awe, trying to comprihend the feeling that was coursing through his veins as was Ian. Just simply staring, as if into Medusa's mirror, silently as if drawn together by twine. 

Seifer's cigarette burned out and stung his finger, but he never noticed. 

**(**_...stop it Ian..._**)**

**(**_....I can't..._**)**

************************************************* 

The night sleep was well earned, Quistis figured, nuzzling down in the familiar setting of her old dorm room. A part of her was amazed that it hadn't been taken residence since she had left, and another part of her was pleased about the same reason. It meant that no one had returned here to mess up the walls with finger prints and ruin the bed with whatever they did these days. 

The day had been rough. Squall and her questioned the youths one at a time then all together for hours on end, still recieving no information that could possibly explain what happened to her son. All Taelon could stumble out to his father that he came upon Gabrian hovering over Ian's body, while Gabrian kept screaming for a lawyer. 

Tossing onto her side, Quistis couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she had about the whole situation. Something was very wrong. She and Seifer had made up, silently, on their night ridden ride. Ordin had left the Garden back to Esthar, her best friend Youngju was sleeping in the other room while Nida dozed peacefully in the Library as usual, so what could possibly be so wrong in the predicament now? 

Of course. Her son. 

Ian was catatonic, and with possible brain damage. Lying in that Infirmary bed, seizuring.. it was too much for her eyes to bear and she fled, leaving Seifer alone with him. A part of her wondered why he was there, while the rest of her told her to not interfere, let them commune with Ian's silence. Hyne knows that would be the only way to get the stubburn child to listen, was to completely shut his movement off and let his ears be open for reason. 

Snuggling down into the covers, Quistis sighed and let herself drift off. When sleep refused to join her, she flung the covers away from her body and kicked a leg in the air. Something in the air just didn't feel right. With Seifer being with Ian, and no information on her son's condition, there was nothing to do but sit and worry herself sick, and that was something Quistis Trepe could never do. 

Getting out of bed, she stumbled in the dark and pulled her robe over her body, tying it around her waist. Maybe if she could convince Doctor Kadowaki to let her stay with Ian in his infirmary room tonight, she'd get at least a few winks of rest. Being by him seemed to make everything better, and in the back of her mind she somehow believed that maybe if she tried, and hoped, and prayed enough to Hyne he'd rise awake and grin, asking her why the hell she was looking so tired. That woulnd't be happening anytime soon, Quistis figured, but it couldn't possibly hurt to wait. 

Her hand on the door, Quistis heard an unusually loud commotion outside the Garden halls. Yanking the door open, her footsteps barely made contact with the hardened glass and wood floors when a large explosion wracked in her ears. Falling to her knees, Quistis coughed as dirt and wind filled her nostrils and clouded her lungs painfully. Crawling around the floor, she slid to a stop when she came upon a fallen body that was struggling to move. 

"Seifer?!" Quistis screamed, waving the dust away from her face. "What? Are you alright?" 

"Yeah.." Seifer groaned, pulling himself into a seated position. "How about you?" 

"I'm fine. I just came out of my room." She glanced towards the remains of the Infirmary and stifled a gasp. "Oh Hyne.. Ian!?" 

"Fine." Seifer mumbled. "As a matter of fact, he caused this mess.." 

"He what..? Ian?" Quistis gasped. "Oh Hyne.. why..?" 

Another explosion shook the foundation of the Garden, causing Seifer to throw his body over Quistis' form. When the dust began to settle, he squinted his eyes open slightly and stiffled a scream. 

The glowing embers of ight fire encircled Ian like an aura, guarding him from anyone incoming to battle this new nemesis. Many SeeDs came by, screaming, brandishing their weapons and only recieved a soft chuckle for their gusto. 

With a flick of his wrist, Ian formed tiny, miniscule icicle particles no thinner than a sliver, and shot them towards the youngsters, forcing them into their skins and making them bleed. The SeeDs gasped and screamed, falling to the floor like flies writing in pain, their wings cruelly torn off. A simple laugh echoed across as Ian limped down the halls, his face twisted into an ugly grimace. 

"Fucking hell.." Seifer growled. Leaving Quistis aside, he ran towards the glowing aura that was his son and grabbed his shoulder, hissing through the burning pain thta accumilated. Ian spun around and flared at him through growling eyes and sneered, yet not shaking Seifer's arm off. "The hell is going on with you?!" 

"Quite simple, dear dear Father.." Ian murmered. LIfting his arms up high, the glowing aura surounded the both of them, and accompanied by Quistis' screams, Ian laughed. "I'm becoming ALIVE!" 

A bright flash was the last thing Seifer saw until the darkness enveloped him, and a sharp pain seared his brain. With the last sounds of screaming and rampant thunder echoing in his ears, Seifer muttered a groan and shut his eyes before the thin lines of crimson fell down his face and smeared against the foor. 

************************   
Waa.. sorry it's so short and late.. i'l do better! Promise!   
Read! Review! Please? 


	15. Succession

Succession  
************** 

**(**_...fithos..._**)**

"MY SON!!!!" She screamed. The shout echoed across the halls, vibrating on the walls and ceiling with a shrill shriek of fear. "Ian, oh Hyne in heaven my.." 

"Shut up!" Zell shouted in her ear. Strong arms grabbed her before she could take another step to the enigma she had given birth to, her own fear of being engulphed in the flames that surrounded him taking a step back to the fear she felt for him. The sight of him, surrounded by living fire burned into her own mind, and again she screamed, clawing at the tricep of one who was a dear friend of hers. "Damn it, Quistis. Stop it! Do you wanna end up like Seifer?!" 

"You don't understand.." She whined pitifully. "He's my son.." 

"I understand, dammit. But getting yourself hurt or killed won't fucking help us!" Throwing her to Squall, he motioned for the rest of the SeeD members and candidates to stay back before he knelt down by Seifer. "Hey man, are you alright?!" 

"Ugh.. fuck.." Seifer blinked back the blood that wafted into his eyes and felt along his forehead, hissing when his fingers met an open wound. "Fuck, Chicken Wuss the last thing I wanna see when I wake up is you." 

"Yeah, you're an ugly bastard too." Zell pushed Seifer upwards into a sitting position, and rested his head on his forearm. "You gonna live or do we need your kid to knock some more sense outta you?" 

"Fuck you Zell." Seifer growled. Stumbling to his feet, he looked across the halls at the glowing ember of a human body and shuddered. "Hyne.. Where the hell is Quistis?" 

"Being restrained by Squall and Irvine. She tried running after that living torch." Pushing his hari back, he squirmed a little when another crash resulted due to Ian's bursts of energy. A scornful laugh, almost a cackle echoed the halls, causing another tumble of shock waves to decend. "Bathrobe and all. Shit.. what're we gonna do? We gotta warn the kids! If they get near him-" 

"I know what the hell.. Damn it Zell let me fucking think!" Rubbing his temples to ward off an incoming migraine, Seifer looked at the crowd of onlookers and watched as the SeeDs and SeeD candidates alike scurried around like rats in a cage, confused and concerned and all of them very afraid. He glanced at the face of Taelon Leonheart, who's arm was around Angie Zoback and then Giselle Dincht, who cast a wary jealous glance towards them. Next to her was Collete Dincht, who warded off the comforting hands of Contessa Kramer while wiping away at her tear streaked face and burying it in Amie's shoulder. All of the kids, all of the kids he knew were right there and alright. Alive, and all right, just scared and helpless. All of them... 

...Except one. 

"Where's Gabrian?" Seifer murmered, looking at each face slowly. "_Where the hell is Gabrian Kramer!?_" 

"You don't have to scream!" Collete shouted back at him. Stepping forward, shrugging off Contessa's hands, she wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and chewed her bottome lip. "He's in his dorm room. Once the commotion began he ran there. I don't know why." 

Giving her a curt nod, Seifer bolted away from the crowds, pushing himself through and sprinting across the halls. Zell shook his head slowly, finding no reason within himself to stop the other man and instead drew his attention to his daughters. "Girls?" He blurted out, kneeling down infront of him like he did when they were just so young. "Are you two alright?" 

"We're okay Daddy." Giselle murmered, throwing her arms around her father's neck. "Only Mister Almasy was in the Infirmary." 

"Cole?" 

"Yeah.. I'm cool Pops." Collete mumbled. 

"Alright. I'm gonna go after Ian. You two stay here." Untangling Giselle's arms from his neck, Zell leaned towards Amie beside them and gave her a deep longing kiss that made her gasp for air. "I'll be back babe." 

Amie lifted a palm to stroke his face gently, and leaned upwards to catch his lips with her own once more. "Please be careful Zell." 

"I always am." With one last hug to his wife, Zell bolted after Ian while Amie pulled her daughters close, planting a comforting kiss on the tops of their heads. "It's going to be alright girls." She whispered. "Daddy will help Ian." 

"Stop it." Collete whispered. "Just.. Stop it." 

"Collete?" 

"I'm not bloody three years old anymore! Mom, look." Collete murmered, pulling away from Amie's comforting grasps. "You don't have to treat me like a kid anymore. I can handle it. Don't give me this bullshit about 'Daddy will help him' crap! Ian is.. is.." 

"Insane." Giselle whispered, but not low enough to pass over her sister's ears. 

"What did you say?" 

"I said.. He's _insane_!" Giselle screamed, oblivious to the anger her sister was resonating. "Your little boytoy is insane, and it'll be because of him Daddy's gonna die! If I didnt leave my weapons in my dorm I would have taken him out myself!" 

"Oh yeah!?" Collete shouted, pulling her fists infront of her. "My weapons are these fists of mine, and if you don't take that back you're gonna be feeling them!" 

"Girls, stop it!" Amie shouted, stepping in between her two daughters. "It's no one's fault!" 

"Piss off Mom!" Collete screamed, before shoving Amie into the crowds and gripping a handful of Giselle's hair. The twin girl shrieked and threw out a hand to her sister's shoulder, gripping hard enough with her nails to draw blood, crimson lines that ran down her shoulder blade and smeared on her shirt. Collete wrapped her fingers around Giselle's hair and yanked hard, ripping out a locke hard enough to cause Giselle to scream and let go of her sister's shoulder, gripping her head in pain. The shrill sound of her scream brought a smile to Collete's lips, momentarily distracting her while Taelon and Angie grabbed her arms from behind her and Amie snaked hers around Giselle's waist. Pulling the girls apart with much protest from Collete was hard enough with out the crowds surrounding them. Talon and Angie gave eachother a forlorn glance and a heaved sigh while they dragged Collete away, and Amie comforted Giselle's screams about her hair. 

Behind them, three SeeDs and one Instructor tallied the gamble bets. Contessa Kramer smiled. She always knew Giselle would draw first blood. No matter how many times Collete seethed at the sight of her, there would be no way in Hyne's hell she would actually hurt her sister. 

**(**_...lusec..._**)**

He polished his Gunblade with eerie serenity, watching as the grooves filled with the liquid he applied to the blade, and smiling as the tiny scrapes disappeared. Years of wear and tear showed thoroughly on it's hiln, yet he always refused to upgrade it, or barter for a new one. This young thing, this blade had been his best friend for years, aside from Contessa, and the years of lonliness always seemed to reflect onto others when he saw his dark haired reflection in the serated edge, broken and yet worthy. 

This ritual began when he first recieved this weapon, from Squall Leonhart. Regular blades bore him to tears, when he finally threw his katana to the ground and demanded a more complicated, powerful weapon. Headmaster Leonhart glowered at him and gave a curt nod before tossing him his old blade, and brandishing his improved version of the weapon. Gabrian was struck with awe until Squall came at him, using the might of the blade to thrust him in the air andslam him around like a ragdoll. The commotion caused Gabrian to faint, and when he tasted the bittersweetness of a Phoenix Down on his lips, he whispered low enough for only his ears to hear, "Finally..." 

Now, it was going to be his savior. Glancing at his reflection in the blade's side, he smirked a little to himself and nodded, thrusting it outwards. His thoughts swam around like fish in a barrel, along with the guilt of Ian's breakdown, Giselle's immature soon to be betrayal, and his Sister's achievements over his own, he wanted to scream out loud, scream that it was his fault for Ian's insanity, Giselle's wandering eye and his sister overcoming him. Yet there was no time to take blame. Only time to help deprive Ian from his madness and make right what he should have the instant the younger boy collapsed in the Tomb. 

A loud banging on his door shocked Gabrian from his thoughts. Blinking back surprise, he threw himself into a fighting stance and gripped the handle of the Gunblade fiercly in his own, hissing to the door "Come and get me, Ian. Come and get me, you miserable son of a-" 

An explosion that nearly left the door off it's hinges made Gabrian jump back in fear, onto one knee yet still gripping his Gunblade. The dust around him wafted into his nostrils and he sneezed, shutting his eyes as the elecronics inside the Garden shorted out and everything went dark. Opening his eyes slowly, Gabrian heard the power generators sound and the figure encased in darkness suddenly take color form. Fear gripped him as hard as he held the handle of the Gunblade when he infact realized who had come to make him meet his maker. 

"Son of a.." 

"Close enough." The figure growled, stepping closer and blowing off the flames on his hand. 

"STAY BACK SEIFER!" Gabrian screamed, thrusting his blade outwards. "You better stay the hell back _now_ and go away!" 

"Gabrian Kramer.." Seifer growled angrily, ignoring his threats. "That's Mister Almasy, but to you, it'll be the fucking Angel of Death if you don't start talking. Yesterday." 

"I told you all I know!" Gabrian shouted. "I said all I know. Just leave me alone and let me handle it!" 

"Like you handled it when it happened? Like you handled it when Ian was laying in the damned Infirmary, half fucking brain dead?" Seifer sneered. "No, you _won't_ handle it because you've already proven you can't." 

"Get lost, Almasy." Gabrian hissed, bringing his blade to full tilt. "Or you'll be eating some metal soon." 

"With what!?" Seifer scoffed to the youth. Eyeing the revolver style Gunblade Gabrian held, he smirked to himself and shook his head, letting the sight before him sink in. "Oh, I see by the way you're standing, Leonhart taught you how to use that blade, huh?" 

"Yeah.." Gabrian hissed, flaunting the Revolver style blade. "The same guy who carved up your face!" 

Seifer's chuckle caught Gabrian off guard again, and the youth frowned, lowering his blade. With a slight twist of his wrist Seifer flicked back his coat to show the handle of his own weapon of choice, the long defunct Hyperion. What little of the blade showed, still gleamed as if new, winking in the dimly lighted room. "I guess he forgot to tell you that I 'carved up' his face first." 

"Get bent, Almasy." Gabrian mumbled, lowering his sword. "And get outta my room. I have a job to do." 

Attempting to step past him, Gabrian felt large hand painfully grip his shoulders, causing him to cry out. Seifer flung Gabrian back into a wall, and then stepped between the only exit in the room and the pained youth, who felt behind his head at the gooseegg that was forming. Reaching down, he picked up the young man by the lapels, yanking him to face him while letting his angry scorching breath hiss into his face. "You're not going _anywhere!_" Seifer shouted, before once again throwing Gabrian into the wall and slamming what was left of the door closed behind him. "You're gonna sit there and tell me everything, in explicet fucking detail, what the hell you did to my son!" 

"Your son? Ha!" Gabrian choked out. Standing to his feet, he laned against the wall and felt the back of his head for any problems, and was relieved to find none. "Some father you are. You left your wife before Freshie was even born. You have no right to call _anyone_ son!" 

"And you don't have the right to deny information that might help Ian." Seifer murmered, shaking his head in disgust. "Talk Gabrian. What the hell happened at the tomb?" 

Gabrian let out a shuttering breath, and gulped down the saliva that had built inside his throat. "I..I-I dared Ian to get a piece of the dead guy. It was only a game, I fucking swear! I didn't do anything to Ian! I didn't. I swear on my mom, I swear on my dad, I didn't do anything to Ian myself. It was the tomb... I'm telling you the truth." 

"Then why the hell didn't you just say that?" Seifer grumbled. "If it's the truth." 

"C'mon.." Gabrian pulled himself up from his sitting position, leaning against the wall. He dropped his revolver style gunblade to the floor and ran a hand through his dusty hair. "Everyone woulda blamed me and called me a liar anyways. It's no secret Fresh and I don't get along." 

"I should fucking kill you were you stand, you little louse." Turning his back to him, Seifer began towards the door, slamming it open roughly. "I'm warning you, Gabe. If my kid ends up losing his life beause you neglected to tell us anything, by all I hold holy boy.. I'll fucking kill you." 

"How can you love him..?" Gabrian murmered under his breath. "You don't even know him." 

"How could you hate him before you even knew him?" Seifer said, eyeing Gabrian ruthlessly. "I'll let you in on a little secret. Once you have kids, Hyne forbid, you're attatched to them. You can't change that. Even if you just learn of their existance.. well.. it takes a cruel bastard to deny them." 

"Bullshit." Gabrian spat. "My parents were never there for me. Never! Tessa and I had to stick together since we were born. Never once did Mom ever come and help me with my homework, Tessa did. Not even once did Dad come and help me with the gunblade, Leonhart did. Whatta ya say about that?" 

"You ever call your parents, kid?" Seifer whispered, his emerald eyes burning. "Ever go up to them and ask for help, or ask for a hug, or anything? See, your parents raised me, and everytime I needed them, they were there. I had to go up to them and _ask_ for it, but whenever they could, they would be there. I always had to go _to_ them, but it was worth it." 

"But-" 

"No buts about it." Pulling open his coat, Seifer yanked out Hyperion, and gazed into the blade, watched the flames of ambition and ferocity dance inside them. "They love you. They clothed you. They fed you. Hell, they gave birth to you. You repay all that by hating their guts and pissing on their existance." Pointing the blade straight at him, Seifer smirked devilishly and held in a chuckle. "How fucked that they named you after me. See ya kid. I hope the hate in your heart doesn't overcome you. Take it from someone who knows, that ain't the fucking path to ride on." 

With that, Seifer ran out the door and into the hallway, following the sounds of screams and turbulance that had erupted in the Garden due to his son's wake. His words rang in echoes across Gabrian's mind, causing the younger man to lash out angrily at whatever was in his way. Raising his blade high, he slammed it down on his dresser, crushing the container into splinters and useless wood. Paint chips from the remains scattered and shattered on the floor, making Gabrian hiss with anger before throwing his blade to the side. It flew and slammed into the lamp next to his bedside, crushing it beneath it's weight and knocking a picture of him and his sister to the floor, shattering the glass with a loud smash. 

Before long Gabrian fell to his knees and smashed into the floor with his fists until they bled. It was easy being Gabrian Kramer. 

Unless you were Gabrian Kramer. 

**(**_...wecos..._**)**

Rinoa nursed her wound carefully, proding at the gauze around her neck. The explosion of glass and metal had caused many injuries, including Rinoa's neck being gauged at with a wayward piece of glass that had flung powerfully outwards. It had narrowly missed any important, blood pumping arteries but had severed a vocal cord, causing her to remain mute while it healed. A Curaga applied directly to her neck daily helped it's healing process, but Kadowaki assumed it be at least a month before she could fully speak again. It would be painful, not to comfort her son when he needed his mother's nurtering voice, but there was nothing to do about it. 

Earlier she had come to his door, lifting a fist to wrack her knuckles against it, and found it empty. Absurd, she thought, Taelon always ran to his room to prepare first hand before a big battle in his room. She opened the door slowly and peered into the empty room, fear gripping her harsh, causing a stinging pain in her already sore throat. Talon's room was empty, and his sharp shot case was open, alone, and missing his weapon. 

It hit her all at once. 

He went after Ian. 

The gory image of Ian pulling apart her son's body was so horrific she fell down, sliding her back down the wall. Her chest aching, and tears pouring down from her eyes Rinoa crawled out of her son's room into the broken hall way, eyeing the cracks in the floor as she went. It wasn't until she felt strong hand grip her shoulders and the crying out of Taelon's voice did she finally stop crying. Being Cradled in his arms, and then feeling weightless as he grunted and lifted her tiny frame upwards, and ran down the halls towards where all the students were gathering. Squall was barking out instructions left and right, poointing and depanding to them where they head to and they complied, a few by few, by lifting their hand in the SeeD salute. Behind them stood Irvine Kinneas, absorbing the information and nodding. 

"Dad!" Taelon shouted. Rinoa lay her head on his shoulder and whimpered slightly, the sound making her throat hurt. "Dad, mom was in my room. She collapsed. I-I dunno what's wrong.." 

"Rinoa?" Squall whispered. Retrieving his wife from Taelon's arms, he motioned for the students he was instructing to follow Instructor Kinneas, and obey his rules. Irvine gave a SeeD salute and the sea of kids turned around, facing the other instructor while he called out commands, mimicking Squall's former stature. Squall himself turned around and glanced towards Taelon, who shrugged slightly. "What happened Taelon? Where did you find her?" 

"She was crawling outta my room. I think she's still kinda outta it because of the loss of blood she had when she got hurt." Taelon reached upwards and touched his mother's pale face, fear stinging his spine. "Is she gonna be okay?" 

"Yeah.. Yeah.. Go, Taelon. Find whoever's hurt, and take them to Kadowaki." Squall mumbled, lifting Rinoa in his arms. "I'll take her to our room. She's probably just tired." 

"Yeah.. Okay dad." Taelon nodded, giving his father one last Salute before taking off down the halls. Squall nodded after the retreating form of his son and then ran carefully towards the dormrooms, cradling Rinoa close. Her soft breathing tickled his neck and he sighed, enjoying the sensation for just a few moments. The elevator's still worked, Squall murmered happily while he pressed the button. There is a hyne. Taking one last glance behind him, he noted that everything was seemingly under control. Ian had blown his way out of the Garden with enough force to knock a freight train off its tracks, but not many were injured and no casulties. The Garden halls roamed with Students, confused and scared yet ready to fight for their home. 

Heaving a sigh, Squall stepped onto the elevator and breathed deep. This was going to be a bittersweet report. 

**(**_...vinosec..._**)**

Zell cowered behind the wall, junctioning himself to the highest levels he possibly could. Ian's glowing ember of a body lowered in light the closer he go to the actual sarcophogus, dimming the way. Zell had a hard time keeping up with him, but eventually he suceeded in following with out a problem. 

The next sight was when Ian's psyche was completely dampened, only a slim shimmer of what he used to be proof of the damage he caused. A bruised hand reached out to stoke the tomb's lid, feeling along the stone slate with ease. Entranced by the sight, Zell didn't feel it when a hand suddenly crept up on his own and yanked hard, and another hand clasped over his mouth. Zell started to struggled until the hands squeezed tightly, and pushed him up against a wall, bringing him face to face with his darkness attacker. 

"Seifer?!" Zell hissed in a whisper. "What're you doing here?!" 

"Shh.. shuttup Chicken Wuss!" Seifer hissed back, kneeling down. "If Giselle or Collete were in Ian's place, wouldn't you be here too?" 

"Right.." Zell grumbled, turning away. "So far, nothing's goin' on. Just him and that damned coffin. Gabe tell ya anything?" 

"Nothing useful." Seifer murmered. "Was a dare, thought everyone would blame him.. dammit Ian fight it.." 

The eerie light brightened then, from a sinister blue hue to a bright white. Ian's hand rubbed faster and faster on the lid of the coffin, until finally he screamed a deafening howl and threw the lid off. The low hums of the dead spirits exhulted outwards, screaming and chanting in hymms long thought gone and buried with the dead.Ian raised his arms outwards, absorbing in the power that the tomb carried, taking it all in his body like an empty vessel, waiting to be filled. Seifer watched, morbidly engrossed as his son's body convulsed with the light, and was snapped out of his reverie by a scream that escaped Ian's lips. 

"The fuck..? Ian? NO!" 

"Seifer! Fuck mn, stay back!" 

Seifer ignored Zell's cries of protest and yanked his arm off his own, kicking the younger man in the stomach and taking off towards the coffin of power remained. Ian's cries of fear and pain echoed loudly on the walls of the tomb, while the music of the damned tortured his ears. Strong arms came about his waist and he looked down, then over his shoulder and into the knowing, determined eyes of his father. 

"Seifer.. LET GO!" 

"The hell I will." Seifer growled, pulling Ian away from the tomb. Yet the hold on the boy was like steel, drawing them both into the coffin hard enough to make their heels cause dragmarks in the dirt, loud crunching sounds emitted as their feet dragged. Seifer shouted for Ian to struggle, fight, buto avail when two lassoes of light escaped from the tomb, reached upwards and gripped both men, dragging them inside. A jolting zap of blinding light and then both of their screams disappeared and soon everything went dark. 

Zell blinked open his eyes and found himself surrounded by darkness, and in pain from Seifer's foot colliding with his stomach. Pulling himself to his feet, he limped the rest of the way back to Garden, wondering how on earth he would survive the watf uistis Trepe, and the Gardenmasters. 


	16. Becoming

Becoming   
**********

She brushed her long hair, the red gleaming strands turning every shade of crimson in the candle lit room. No one could deny the fact she was absolutely beautiful, her distinguishing features hightened by the virbant cyan of her eyes. The pain between her eyes panegd with a fury, causing her to gasp slightly and drop her brush into the elegantly mastered sink of marble and clay. Gripping the sink tightly in her hands, the woman cursed as the pain ebbed away, the cold fusion of ice dissipating into a null throb. Leaning backwards on a seat, she breathed in a sigh of relief when the pain finally subsided and she smiled, knowing full well that her problems might very well be over if she could just pull this one last ditch effort off. 

His soft moans from the bedroom tinted her thoughts, and darkened them soon after. _He_ was the one, this child, the savior of her love? He was just a mere child, barely a season or two younger than she was herself yet the prophets destined the truth and proclaimed him the seed of revival. Sighing to herself, she tightened the sash around her waist and ointmented her wrists with the sweet smelling oils and perfume. Even if he was just a mere child, he was still her beloved. Only her eyes, and a select few other including the unwanted guest who had come through with him would be able to see him in his true form, so yet she must act accordingly, and warn him of the danger the Oracle prophets warned her of. 

"Ugh.. my fucking.. head.." His voice groaned, and she sneered in distaste. Such vile language for one so young. He will have to be trained in the uses of the tongue. As she entered the bedroom she sighed, casting a weary gaze over his twisted form tangled in the bedsheets. The youth he possessed shone out even mroe now, in the delicate structure of his cheek bones and the soft plumpness of his lips that stretched pricariously over ivory teeth in a sordid grimace. Sighing, she lifted a sweet smelling wrist to his cheek and stroked downwards, feeling the sightest roughness of stubble and dirt against his skin. Handsome in a feminine way, she mused slowly, stroking his cheek and chin with her finger tips, she studied his features and henced many of them from his mother's side. He lacked the his bloodline's strong cheekbones and prompt nose, and his eyes were seemingly too wide to be of his own father's decent. 

His hand lurched up and gripped her perfumed wrist deathy tight in his own, and she gasped in pain, her eyes stinging with tears due to the shock. Blue and green eyes opened wide, blaring up at her with an angry glare before her mind clicked open and she yanked her arm away. Standing to her feet she nervously glanced at him and nodded primly, lacing her fingers infront of her. 

"You've awakened." She murmered, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "Shall I fetch you clean clothing?" 

"No, you can tell me what the hell is going on!" Ian gaped out, throwing his legs over the bed. Standing up, the woman adverted her eyes, and Ian reddened, sitting back down and pulling covers over his nude form. "Shit.. look, can you get me some clothes? Anything?" 

"Of course." She whispered, stepping towards the elegantly carved dresser at the near end of the bed. Ian took this chance to admire his suroundings and take in the sight of what seemed to be a bedroom larger than a house. The walls were strung up with golden vines at first glance Ian deemed to be real to the sight. Beautifully embelished lamps that held large wax candles garned each side of the unusually large canopied bed, and the ceiling itself seemed to reach to the heavens and the paintings of powerful men and woman garneshed a wall in each quarter. A bathing room stood off to the side, and he figured that itself as large as his old dorm room in Garden. Gleaming sofas lined with gold and gems pressed against a wall. The sight reminded him of an elegant brothel, lit only by candles at the moment which danced eerie shadows on the walls, making the paintings light up like jack-o-lanturns, their smiles giving him a chill. Many unlit candles adorned the tables and dressers, and Ian shook his head slowly, letting out a slow curse until the woman returned, pressing a set of clothing into his arms. "Please, dress and I shall explain." 

"Yeah.. yeah. I will." The woman turned her back to him and crossed her arms about her slender waist while Ian pulled a pair of tight fitting pants onto his legs. He fumbled around with the clasps before grunting out that he was finished and almost fully clothed. She turned around and nodded primly, casting her eyes downwards while he slipped on the oversized shirt It too was confusing, with a buckle across the waist and on the shoulder, connecting into eachother as a sash. The pants were black and his shirt white, made up of leather and silk which Ian wondered how the hell he could stand. "Alright. I bet you're the one behind my little shock. " 

"Yes. I am." She whispered, sitting down in one of the elaborately designed sofas. "My name is Hanniele. I an your wife." 

"Whoa, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa..." Ian blurted out. "No. No you're _not_ my wife. I ain't married!" 

"In this time space, we are." Lighting a stick on incense, Hanniele placed it in a glass container, smelling the fragrant vanilla. "I need your help here. The oracle predicted that within a week my husband will die, he being you. I need your help in thwarting the plans since my husband refused to believe it." 

"Cute." Ian grumbled, falling back onto the bed. "You brought me back in time to let me die." 

"Not if you agree to help me prevent my husbands death." Shifting her skirts, Hanniele stepped towards him and sat eside him on the bed, tilting her head sideways. "You were chosen because of your bloodline. In many years into the future, your father will become my great grandson, and you my great grandson after that. Because of your blood, I was able to pull back into this demention, and do not be assured of, if your father had touched the coffin he would be in your place." She sighed wistfully and looked him over. "He came through the portal with you. You are not alone, which is something I rather you not be.. " 

"Fine. Whatever." Ian murmered, standing up. "I can't believe this.. What about my friends? My mom? They're gonna be worried sick. I gotta tell them." 

"I wil send your father back-" 

"Don't fucking call him that." 

Hanniele startled. "Excuse me?" 

"Don't call him my father. As far as I'm concerned he's just a lowlife sperm doner. He wasn't around while I was growing up, and as far as I'm concerned, I don't fucking need him." Ian rubbed his temples hard, trying to get more blood to his brain. "Where is he anyway?" 

"In the other room, at this moment. Putting up quite a racket." Hanniele smiled. "For a man whom you deny to be of blood, he is very scared for you." 

"He probably just wants a piece of my mom;'s ass again, like every stinkin' male I fucking envcounter.." Ian grumbled. "Alright, look, let's just, like, ya know, see him. See if he's clawed his fingernails to the bone or something." 

"He only sustained a few injuries during the transportation." Hanniele walked towarsd the bedroom door, opening both doors widely. "A twisted shoulder and a few bruises and scratches. Nothing a bit of magic cannot cure." 

"Whatever. Let's just go." Ian stopped by the door and waited, staring at Hanniele while she gripped the doorknob tightly in her palms. "Well?" 

"Yes?" 

"Well.. geeze.." He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, redness seeping upwards and tainting his cheeks crimson. "Ladies' first, ya know." 

"No. I never go before my husband." Hanniele scowled. "It is law, my King." 

"This sucks.." Ian whispered under his breath. "Alright. Let's go. But seriously, stop calling me King and crap. My name's Ian, okay?" 

"No. If you are to be passed as my husband, you must go by his name." 

"And that is?" 

"Tsunan." 

Ian groaned while he stepped infront of Hanniele. This was going to be a long long 'vacation.' 

********************************************************* 

Pacing was what he did best. Laguna Loire, prsident of Esthar recieved a call from his grandson in a frantic worried, begging for help as his world shattered around them. It took almost a half hour to calm the boy down long enough to get him to explain. Ian had simply gone insane, maiming anyone who got in his way, including Rinoa. She was scared and delusional due to the medication and lack of blood, and rambling on that her son and husband were dead until finally she was induced into a medicinal coma until her thoughts were healed. After repeating over and over to his grandson that he would enlist help and friends as soon as he got off the phone, Laguna hung up the reciever and looked to his friends, heaving a sigh. 

"I don't believe this. Ian's gone insane.." He slammed a fist down into the table, cursing. "I never should have mentioned Garden to the boy, or let Squall interract with him. This is all my fault." 

Kiros slowly shook his head, and patted Ward's knee. Ward gave him and look and Kiros nodded, relaying the thoughts. "Ward says it's not your fault, You can't stop inevitable. My son was held under Seifer's army, and eventually Ian would have joined him too. They were talking about it, didn't say anything. He would have known the truth, sooner than later." 

"I know. Quistis would never have wanted this.." Laguna brought his gaze over to Kiros, and the young man sitting next to him and smiled grimly. "Saigon, please, tell me all you know." 

"Just like my father said." Saigon began, with out moving. "Ian and I were friends. I spoke highly of Martine's rule, and when he died Almasy took control. I haven't spoken to Ian about it yet, but eventually he would have joined. He loved Esthar, but everyone needs a life outside." 

"Ian is a smart child, but he's also powerful. We need information on the tomb, and it's history in order to help him and find out why." Kiros coughed out a bit, and resumed his stature. "I don't know the boy personally, but Saigon speaks highly of him. Also, Angie might know him. She attends Garden, does she not? We might be able to ask her a few thinks that could be missing in this puzzle." 

"I hope so. As it is I'll have to speak with Ordin. He can manhandle a whole clean uip crew, and his scientists can think up ways about what happened to Ian." Rubbing the fatigue from his eyes, Laguna plopped back down in his chair. "They broke up, but Ordin still cares for her. And I know he loves Ian like his own. He'll help us with this.." 

"I dearly hope so, Ward says." Kiros cleared his throat and stood up, Saigon following suite. "My son and I are going home now, to bring up a few forces and check upon the history of the unknown king. Do promise to tell us if you need anything?" He cast a glance at ward and smiled. "Ward says the same." 

"A man could not ask for better friends.." Laguna whispered as they left the room. Plucking the phone from the reciever, he dialed Ordin's number, and listened as the other end rang for about three minutes before a husky voice on the other line picked it up. A small argument before Ordin's deep voice crossed the wires into Laguna's ears. "Samatone?" 

"..Yeah? President Loire?" 

"Indeed.." Laguna raised an eyebrow, his lip twitching. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" 

"No, no.." A soft feminine whisper in the background, and Ordin hissing between his teeth. The murmers subsided and he cleared his throat, bringing the phone closer to his lips. "What is it President?" 

"I need your help.. Ian's gone insane, and your scientists are the only ones I can think of that can find out what's going on. Ordine works for you, and his collegues too." Laguna sighed. "Ian's like my grandson, Ordin. I know what happened betweeen you and Quistis was less than.. nice, but please, help me?" 

"You're my boss, Mister President." Ordine snickered. "You kinda can't just ask me. I have to do it." 

"Good.. good. Because Quistis is going absolutely nuts and.." He heard the slight intake of breath from Ordin's end and apologized profusely. "I know, you two have a big history with eachother." 

"I wanted to marry that woman." The voice on the other end growled. "I loved her from the moment we met. But I can't very well marry a married woman." 

"I know, General Samatone. I know. I lost my wife long ago, remember?" A disgruntled sound, and Laguna continued. "I'll pay you triple if you can get most of your team to Garden and help rebuild it. Garden members will contribute as well. First thing tomorrow, fly out to Balamb and I'll meet you there to discuss everything. Bring your builders. You know how Balamb Garden is." 

"Yeah. I been there remember?" Ordin softly chuckled, switching which ear his reciever was on. "Sure. I'll rally up the troups tomorrow. Is.. she still there?" 

"Quistis? Yeah. She is." Laguna cleared his throat and let out a heavy breath, worriedly tapping his fingers against the wooden panneling of his desk. "Are you gonna be okay with that? I can drag her back here with Youngju and Nida." 

"No. I'll be fine. Thank you President. I'll see you in the morning." Hanging up on his reply, Ordin leaned back into his bed, breathing heavily against the sheets. His companion trailed her long nails over his chest, between his pecks to graze along his abdomen. Reaching outwards he gripped her hand in his, and whispered goodbye, silently asking her to leave. The woman let out a mewl of protest which he vehemently shook his head, rolling onto his side and ignoring her completely until her mewling silenced and she removed herself from his presense, gathering up her clothing and putting it on before slamming his door, leaving it unlocked. Ordin groaned and twisted around in his bed for the rest of the night. Quistis Trepe was like a drug, and no matter what (or who) you did, she would always be in your system forever. 

************************************************************* 

Nida rested in his hotel room, his arm draped lazily over his eyes. Sleep decided to evade him tonight, with the massive problems that happened at the Garden, and how many miles he had run in his search for Xu just to make sure she was safely kept away from the massacre that had begun. When he found her, scremaing commands to all the Candidates in the Quad his heart nearly lept out of his chest and with out thinking wrapped his arms around her slim body, hugging her close enough to breathe in the scent of her lilac perfumed hair. For the briefest of moments she held him back, shoveing her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. The next moment she was pushing him away and scowling, asking him why he had the nerve to interrupt her commands over the children. Nida merely glowerd down at her and turned heel, walking away with out a word and ignoring her cries. 

"I went to find you because I love you." He murmered to the ceiling. "Not to interrupt your damned protocals." Tossing his feet over the edge of his bed, he lazily yanked on his robe over his nude form and turned on the bedside lamp, plucking form his table a magazine he had picked up on his way to make reservations. He had left his room number with Garden, incase they needed him and promised to volunteer his services tomorrow when the big clean up would occure. Which meant, another day of seeing Xu, another day of her looks, and another day of him denying his feelings and wishing them to death. Heaving s gih from his tired chest, Nid aleane dback into his bed, scoffing at the thoughts. Xu was still the same, snooty, snobbish little bitch she was when he left her. Nothing had changed. 

The pounding on his door shocked him out of his thoughts. Tying his robe around his waist, he sheepishly wondered whether or not to have some decency and slip on a pair of pants but then decided against it, figuring it to be either Zell or Squall. Most of the women he knew tapped lightly with their knuckles, not charging a full on assault on his door hard enough to knock it off it's frame. 

"Hold on.. I'm coming!" He shouted, tightening the knot around his waist. "Damn. Zell, that has to be you." He twisted the knob open at first, but then decided to slip the chain lock in, cracking it open slightly to peer outside. Instead of his fist pumping friend he found a lovely brunette outside, her face tear stained and her Garden uniform disheveled. "The hell..? Xu?! Hold on.." 

"Nida, please, hurry.." She begged, entwining her fingers together. "Please let me in!" 

"Hold on, woman I have to get dressed." Nida grumbled loudly. Reaching into a drawer he yanked out a pair of black slacks and slipped them on underneath his robe, ignoring his urge to slip on a pair of underwear before hand. "I don't wanna give the world a peep show." 

Xu waited impatiently outside his room, and sighed with relief when he opened the door full way. She stifled a chuckle when he appeared, his blue robe contrasting with his dark pants and disheveled hair. Guilt threw her when she figured she had awoken him from a sound sleep, only to bring herself, the woman he probably despised with all his being to his doorstep, teary faced and scared. Hesiation after hesitation, each moment lost to time Xu threw all caution to the wind and flung herself into his arms, cradling his body against hers until his stiff form finally relaxed and molded to her own. Slowly but surely his arms wrapped around her body and his lips went to her ears, whispering sweetly words she longed to hear, words of compassion and no fear while one of his hands tangled in her gray streaked hair and one wrapped around her waist. Heaven seemed to fall in love with her that moment while he held her, kissed her cheek and wiped away her tears. 

"Xu, what're you doing here? What's going on?" He asked, pulling away and cupping her face in his hands. 

"Oh Hyne, Nida. I couldn't stay there.. Not with everything falling apart around me.." Xu sniffled, wiping the newly formed tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Nida. Hyne forbid I ever do that again.." 

"It's okay, it's alright you know? Sittown, I'll make you something to drink. I got me here the whole kaboodle, kitchen and everything." Nida chuckled, leaning her towards the bed. "Stay put, I'll get you something, Go ahead and keep talking, I'm listening." 

Xu nodded and watched him retreat to the small kitchentte that was included in the hotel room. While she blabbered on he mixed and concocted a drink like magic, pouring and stirring to perfection. She admired highly his skill, noting that he didn't let a drop escape the glass while he shifted and tore it through. "Nida, what are you making? And where on earth did you learn how to do that?" 

"Haha, remember? I own a Bar in Dollet. Learned it over the years. And I'm making you a shirey Temple, it's too late to get pissed." Picking up a cherry from the fridge he plopped it down into cup and doused it with seltzer, filling it to the brim before adding the juice. Walking back to her, he handed her the cup and smiled grimly, waiting for her response. "So wanna talk about it? What happened, why you're here..?" 

Xu sipped from her cup, and then took a large gulp, feeling it sting her throat. "I'm sorry. I really am, I must have woken you.." 

"Nah, I culdn't sleep with everything going on." He ruffled a hand through his hair and smirked, giving her a million watt grin. "Beside, I was just reading up on stuff and thinking. I've known Quistis since forever, and Ian.. well not so long. He's always been good, been straight. I can't believe that he's not being manipulated by something or someone for him to do this." 

"Like a sorceress?" Xu asked over the brim of her cup. "Not possible for now, they've been extinct for years now." 

"Maybe not a sorceress, but something totally weird, totally new and different. Ian's a good kid, you gotta trust me on that one." 

Xu set her cup down on the table next to the bed and sighed, her chest heaving. "He was so polite and nice when he first came to Garden.. and when we found out he was Quisty's son.. the shit hit the fan. He was so upset.. Collete was a good friend of his.. and even she couldn't get his feelings out. I'm gonna beat myself up over this forever if he isn't alright.." 

"He is a good kid, and we'll find him." Nida murmered, tilting Xu's chin to face him. "I love the kid. Who can't? We'll help them, all of them. Seifer too. We'll figure this out tomorrow. Quistis is frekaing out enough already that we don't need to be, and so are Fuu and Rai. They'll be fine. I promise." 

She chuckled slightly, covering her lips and facing away from Nida's questioning gaze. "You were always so optimistic. Always. I'm so happy to find that part of you hasn't changed." 

"Yeah. Of course." Nida said grimly. "Hey look, I'll take the floor tonight, and you take the bed okay? We gotta get some sleep if we're gonna do the cleanup tomorrow." 

"Y-yes.. Of course.." Xu whispered. She watched as his hand drifted towards one of the bedside lamps. "Nida, wait." She said, stopping him before he could turn off the light. 

"Huh? Yeah? What is it Xu?" He asked, leaning back towards her. 

Her voice choking up again and her eyes filling with liquid, she murmered to him one last request, against her minds' though and following her hart. "Just f-for tonight.. Can you please..?" 

"Please do what?" 

Silence. Shoulder sagging, her shell peeling in layers, she whispered "Hold me?" a split second before his arms wrapped tightly around her body and he leaned down against the bed, lifting her trembling form against his own while she reached over his shoulder to turn off the light. 

********************************************************* 

Gabrian watched Giselle with Taelon and growled deep in his thoat. All this time she hovered over him, tending to him while he sat vigil with his mother, holding her hand while Giselle nurtured his shattered soul. She didn't know he was there, watching them interreact with one another, and it took all his control not to reach out and strangle Taelon himelf when her hand trailed from his shoulder to rub circles around his back. 

"Did the Doctor say anything on her?" She asked sweetly, leaning in closer. 

"Yeah. She said Mom'll be alright. The glass missed her jugular, but there'll be a lotta healing time. She was disillusioned when she was walking around.. Lack of blood, the medicine to make the wound clot." Taelon sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Damn. Why did Ian do it?" 

"It's not Ian's fault." Giselle cooed. "It would probably be Gabe's fault. He made Ian go to the tomb, afterall." 

Gabrian twitched at her words and felt hot under the collar, but willed himself to stay put while Taelon spoke. "It's not right to blame Gabe, he didn't know what was gonna happen. Hell, do we know what's up? No. So we can't place the blame on anyone." 

"Maybe Gabe _did_ know what was gonna happen..." Giselle trailed off. 

"What?" 

"Ya know.." she whispered. "Gabe's never liked Ian. Hates him, in fact. Wishes he was dead. Gabe thinks that just because he's Garden Master Cid Kramer's son he can walk all over everyone, just like he did when Ian first came here." 

"That.." Taelong growled, leaning forward and gripping his mother's hand tightly in his own. "That son of a bitch." 

"Oh Tae, you know I'll always be here for you." Giselle swetly replied, taking his face in her small hands. "We'll be friends, forever." 

"...Giselle. I'm not interested." He said, straight laced. "You know I-" 

"I know, Angie." She murmered, looking away. " I guess that means I'm not as pretty as her.." 

At this point Gabrian pushed hismelf away from the door, walking away. He knew this act from her, she played the very ame violin stroke with his heart when they first started to become an item. She pressured him, gave him the 'Poor me' act and drew his heart out onto her sleeve, pinning it to her jacket. Yet now, here she was, running around on him, her words stroking a sign of hatred in his soul. 

"Fuck this." He hissed stomping off. He didn't need her, he didn't need a damned thing. 

What he needed was a stiff drink. 

*********************************************** 

Saints bless all those who's lives were lost in the September 11th tragedy.   
We will always miss you Joe. You were a special man, and will never be far from our hearts.   
Fanfiction.net won't allow author alerts anymore, so I ask that if you wish to have me put you on my own personal auther alert, leave a review with your email and I will put it on and update you whenever I add another story, or another chapter to this one. Thank you all for your support. It means so much.. :)


	17. Consolation

Consolation   
************

Quistis watched carefully, eyeing Ordin over over the rim of her coffee mug as he preached along with his scientists He had arrived that morning, with Laguna and Ellone in tow, speaking with them closely never once giving a glance her way. It made her fel uneasy, with herself wishing for Seifer in every way but also wondering what might have been, if he hadn't shown up out of the blue and Ordin and herself might have lived the rest of their lives with one another. Thinking further she knew it wouldn't possibly be. Her heart had belonged to another, and always shall be, even with just a bit of fun on the side with Ordin, nothing could take Seifer's place in her soul. It was like taking the last cherished memory away from a child, and trying to fill in the depth with dirt: impossible. 

"I'm not completely sure how to go by this." Ordin murmered, cupping his chin in his hands. "I'm having Odine check on the history of the tomb, and that Nida fellow checking the back history of Ian and Almasy, see if there's a connection. Blood samples taken from both of them at the times of their check ups for the Garden and the Army and some cell samples from the tomb might also have a point in them, see if there's something in their blood that might have attracted this phenom. But until we get some decent backstory, that's all we can do President." 

"Fine. Fine. I don't get it though. How come Ian, and not Gabrian? Gabe was near the tomb too.." Laguna said wistfully. "Is he talking yet?" 

"No. We haven't seen him since last night. I figure the kid took off." Ordin cast a sideways glance to his former paramour, and caught her face pale. 'Look, when Nida comes back with personal history, get me. For now, I've got a little history of my own to clear up." 

"Ordin," Ellone's delicate voice echoed, placing her hand on his arm. "Please, don't say anything horrid to her. Her son is gone with out a trace, and she nearly went insane the night it happened. Do not disturb her thoughts with harshness." 

"I'd never do that to Quistis." Ordin murmered, shaking Ellone's hand from his arm. "Believe it or not, I still have some feelings for the woman." 

"It's those feelings I'm afraid of Ordin." 

"Don't." With that, Ordin gave a curt nod before making his way to the table. Raijin and Fujin grasped hands together, with the larger man casting a glance upwards into Ordin's cast iron face, and nodding at Quistis who gave a tilt of her chin before they stood up and relieved their seats, offering them. Ordin nodded and sat down, facing Quistis forward and refused to make a sound until her 'bodyguards' had dismissed themselves. Reaching across the table he took her cold pale hand into his own and stroked the topside of her palm, waiting for her reaction. "Quis? Quistis?" 

"Yes?" She chirpled loudly, sipping from her cup once more. She still refused to look him in the eyes. 

"I'm sorry you have to go through this." Ordin murmered, flipping her hand over and tracing the lines along her palm. "Ian's your son. Anyone with half a mind can understand." 

"I know, I know.." Quistis whispered. She leaned her head on her forearm and exhaled deeply, a state of fatigue becoming over her. "Seifer's there too.." 

"Yeah. I heard." He pulled her wrist upwards to his, giving it a slight peck before setting it downwards. "When did you last sleep woman?" 

"I don't know.. when Ian spontaniously combusted?" She scoffed half heartedly, throwing her limp locks behind her ears. "I was trying to sleep then." 

"Maybe you should get back to bed, babe." 

"I can't." 

"And why not?" 

"What if I'm asleep and Ian needs me?" Quistis murmered, nuzzling her head down into her arm again. "He could need me." 

Ordin heaved a sigh and reached out to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "And Seifer too." 

"Of course." Quistis yawned loudly, her voice betraying her feelings. Her other hand wrapped loosely around her coffee mug, the steam hitting her fingers. "He's the father of my child.." 

"And the man you love." 

"That too." She replied sleepily. 

Ordin paused for a moment, and reached out to gingerly stroke her hair. "I loved you Quistis. I thought, that maybe I could go on fighitng a ghost. But a true human being, I know I couldn't. I don't know if what happened between us was one of the causes for Ian's insanity, but if it does end up that way, I'm sorry. I didn't want to get in anyone's way." He paused for a moment, looking her over. "Quistis?" 

A slight snore from her threw him off guard, making him frown. Quistis had fallen steadily asleep, tired as hell form the ruckus that had erupted, and just looking at her Ordin felt like a brute. All their talk consisted of was him speaking to her, apologizing about himself, and bringing up past deeds that shouldn't have been told int his time of her need. He should have been holding her hand and letting her talk, letting her cry about her losses and her wanton need for their return, instead of listening to him badger on. Sighing, Ordin lifted himself from his seat and pursed his lips, picking her up in his arms while giving a nod to Ellone as he decended the hallway to her room. 

She needed to sleep. She needed rest. She needed Seifer, not him. 

******************************* 

"Asshole!" 

"You son of a bitch!" 

"Drop dead!" 

"Been there, and because of your mother!" 

"Don't you fucking talk about my mom that way!" 

"Don't make me take you over my knee!" 

"I dare you to try, you fucking pervert!" 

"Gladly, cause I got over seventeen years to make up on your ass!" 

Another expensively upholstered pillow flung through the air, colliding against a large vase and smashing it to the floor. Hanniele winced as the fight ensued between the two of them, their screams and yells and crashing of the elegantly furnished guest quarter into a mess. At first glance, the fight should never have seemed possible. Both of them stood facing eachother in silence, simply staring one another in the eyes as the eerie tention in the room escalated into formidable heights. All it took was one twitch in Seifer's face to cause that tention to erupt into a flurry of insults, and then into a rain of debris as they fought over who could cause the most damage and harm to one another. 

"Please, cease this!" Hanneile shouted, covering her ears with her delicate hands. "Please, I beg of both of you!" 

"Why for?" Ian snarled, reaching down you pick up another glass candle holder. "It's his fault! He followed me here, for Hyne knows what!" 

"_My_ fault?! I came here to save your sorry ass!" Seifer felt along his waist for the familiar feel of his blade, and cursed when he found nothing. "You went fucking crazy, and here I thought I'd come and try to help you.. What a big fucking mistake." 

"Only fucking mistake you ever made was coming back, you mangy bastard-" 

"Stop it, PLEASE! I beg of you!" Hanneile shouted, coming in between the two men and stretching her palms outwards and pushing them away from one another. "It is a mistake that your elder one has come-" 

"The hell you calling elder?" Seifer growled. 

Hanniele ignored him, instead concentrating on both of them. "That both of you come through the portal. For this, Father one, I will send you back, but only to tell them of what has happened, and with an explanation of your son's whereabouts. You must come back." 

"I can do this alone.." 

"No, you cannot." Hanniele cast Ian a wary gaze and took a deep breath before continueing. "After this display of mannerism I cannot allow you to go unseen. Do not abuse your power as King, and do something rash. This man is your father, whether or not you wish to accept it." 

"I plead the fifth.." Ian murmered, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. "A father is someone who's been there since birth, been there for someone because they love them, not because they're a burden." 

"I didn't _know_ about you, Ian, or by Hyne I would have been there." Seifer muttered, exhausted. "You don't understand what happened. I don't know what Quistis told you, about me, or about anything, but I didn't know." 

Hanniele cleared her throat, bringing the attention of both men to herself. "Gentlemen, I must big you adieu until I concoct the potion to send your fa... Seifer back to your future. Until then, speak with one another, talk with one another, recieve answers that you wish to questions that must be asked." 

With that, Hanniele bowed deeply and nodded, turning on her heel and clicked out the doors, shutting them behind her. Silence befelled the room, and Ian retired to one corner to think while Seifer did the same. Sitting down on the large couch devoid of any pillows, he looked back on the tattered remains of his son's shirt due to his own hand and groaned inwardly, eyeing a large gash across his chest. It crossed over one peck and scarred the other sides' nipple, pink and brown in colour and riased very slightly in the middle where it was deeper, The length seemed about eight to nine inchs, and the width itself was half an inch, the tell tale sign of a blunt edge of the Hyperion Gunblade. The tip caused an indented scar, such as the one that still crossed Squall's face, but the blunt side.. 

"How the hell did you get that?" He asked, breaking the silence. 

"What?" Ian snapped, facing towards Seifer. His face still held the scowl that Seifer recognized as his own. "Get what?" 

"That scar." He motioned towards the younger mans' chest, drawing his eyebrows together in confusion. "Where'd you get it?" 

"Oh." Ian shrugged slightly, sitting down in a large chair from across the room. "Epali. Estar's own version of training. Makes realistic umm.. holograms I guess." 

""Yeah?" Seifer murmered, steadily watching the scar. "That's from a Hyperion." 

"I know." 

"Does.. Epali have me in it?" 

Ian shrugged, reaching behind himself to rub his neck. "Yeah. I programed Epali to make me fight the sorceress' knight. I didn't know who he was, or that he ended up being my-" He swallowed then, shutting his eyes. "Ended up being you." 

"I owe you answers Ian." 

"I don't wanna hear them." 

"Your mother left me _behind_ Ian!" 

"I said I don't wanna hear 'em!" Throwing an arm outwards Ian smashed his fist into another expensive vase, the glass shards cutting into his skin. Concerned, Seifer stood up and began a low stride towards him only to be cut off by Ian's shrill shriek of warning. "No! Stop it, I don't wanna hear any more! I don't wanna hear your answers as to why the hell my mother and I were on the street for years, before we came to Esthar and Uncle Laguna and Aunt Ellone took our sorry selves in! Why sometimes she went hungry to get food in my mouth, why even though she was working way over forty hours a week to gain her own self respect back yet some how in Hyne's heaven not getting any sleep so her and I could stay up all night and just talk if I ever needed to.. I.. I owe her everything you're supposed to give her, you understand? I owe her my life, hell I owe her a whole seventeen years of life because she practically threw those years of hers away, just for me. _You_ should be the one to give her those years back, not me, because the whole time she'd be crying, when she didn't even know I was there, watching her." 

Seifer opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Ian throwing another glass ornament to the ground, shattering it. "No. Don't talk! Let _me_ talk, will ya?" After Seifer's initial nod, Ian sat back down, cradling his head in his bloody hand. "Mom.. Mom is a great woman, ya hear me? She'd cry, and cry and cry for nights on end because of you. Siz years old, six _fucking_ years old and coming into his mom's room because of a night mare he had, and see's her crying, and realizes that she's been living one since the day he was born. So the kid goes back to sleep, thinking the real nightmare had begun but mommy comes out the next morning fresh as a daisy and cheerful as always. But y'see, the kid know's its bullshit but doesn't say anything, and goes on for the rest of his life thinking his momma was crying because of him. He can see it in her eyes, that he reminds her of you, the lost one, but doesn't say anything. Can't even bring up your existance for another ten years because she'd tear up and leave the room. This happened _daily_ Almasy, it wasn't just an every other week or month type of thing, no. We were lucky if it was." 

Looking up from his hands, Ian's blood streaked face gazed wearily at Seifer's rigid form and he shook his head slowly, inhaling a shuddering breath and letting it go slowly. "You.. You may have lost your wife to your hatred.. but I lost my mom to it. I lost my mom to your hatred. I don't care that you never had a mother, but I _do_. You.. three weeks with a dead body while me, seventeen years with a husk, a shell of a woman who I remember seeing in pictures used to be so damned beautiful inside and out. And seeing you again, I saw the light she lost. Even Ordin couldn't replace it. He was cool, ya know? He was like, everything I coulda wanted in a dad, ya know? Sure, he came a few years late, but he was there anyways. Uncle Laguna, Ordin, any other male lucky enough to know the President, they were good people. I don't understand why she couldn't fall in love with them. They fell for her, sure. Who wouldn't? But they couldn't replace you. I still don't know why. I fucking know you now. I still don't know why." 

A long silence before Seifer gave a curt nod and sat down on the canopied bed, clasping his hands out infront of him, staring straight ahead. "While I was in the army, I had someone check out Balamb Garden, trying to find her. Word came back that she was no longer a part of it, had left at least a year earlier. I thought.. maybe she had run off with someone else, met some one new, and I felt.. gutted. It was the only explanation. I never thought she was pregnant. Just thought she had run off with someone new, and over the years, I got angry. It worsened until I found you and your comrades, and Pickselle." 

"You knew Pickselle?" Ian whispered, casting a glance towards Seifer's way. 

"She helped me when I needed. She was also your mother's adoptive parent. It's a long story as to why she looked the same age as your mother. Someday she'll tell it to you. For now, let it die." 

"Fine.. Whatever." 

"Yeah." Seifer brought his face to look at the floor and resumed his talk. "If I had only fucking checked Esthar.. It wouldn't be this way. I coulda made it better. I didn't want this. I wanted your mother back, that's for sure. I didn't know. If I had known all this shit years ago, it wouldn't be this way." 

"Oh wow, then what way would it be?" Ian sarcastically replied with snarl. "Gee, woulda taken me to a Baseball game? Go out and get Icecream? Ooooh how fun would _that_ be, just daddy and son, licking off the same cone! Yeah. Nothing would have changed, Almasy. Don't delude yourself into thinkin' otherwise okay?" 

"You're wrong, Ian." Seifer mumbled. "Absolutely incorrect. If I was around you wouldn't hate me so damned much, you would have had a decent _father_ around. None of this bullshit would have happened, nothing. I woulda kept you safe. Never once would you have to even think about being scared or on the streets.." 

"I _had_ a good childhood, Almasy." Ian cut in. "Very good. Aside from the usual inevitable cracks about being a Momma's boy and shit, I had a great run. What I want you to know, is I don't _need_ you. I never have, and I never will." 

"You never wondered about me?" Seifer mumbled, his neck feeling very heated. "You never _once_ looked in the damned mirror, and tried to decipher what you got from me, and from your mother?" 

"Of course I did!" Ian spat. Jumping to his feet he began to pace the room, crossing his arms around his waist and gripping his sides tightly. "I looked in the mirror and I saw my mom there, I sure did, and then I looked again and tried to see what I got from you, but all I could find was a green eye. I even fought you in a damned training room just to see, and even then I couldn't see it. I couldn't believe that was you, fighting me." 

"Why not?" 

Ian shuddered, feeling icicle fingers dance a line up his spine. "Your features then. As the Knight. So fucking twisted with hate. Really. Fucking ugly. Not that you're ugly, I mean, you made me." He let a stuttered chuckle escape his throat and shook his head. "But you were twisted, ugly, your face. Twisted with hate. I could taste it, even if it was just a hologram. I couldn't comprihend the difference between you and your picture, how could someone be so twisted and ugly, be so damned calm and gentle with my mom." Ceasing his pacing, Ian turned to Seifer and stared at him, coldy, and full of awe. "Like you are now. You're too damend calm. Not twisted. What the hell made you that way?" 

Seifer opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a loud knocking on the door. Ian called out and the doors opened, Hanniele stepping inside holding a small vial in her hands. She nodded to the two men, and cast a longing gaze at Ian before trailing her eyes back to Seifer. "I have the potion ready." She murmered, holding up the glass. "Are you ready?" 

"Yeah." Casting one last glance at Ian, Seifer nodded and mouthed the words 'We'll talk' before following Hanniele out the door. Ian watched as they stepped away, their footsteps becoming faint and then soon non existant. Throwing himself onto the bed, his mind ran a thousand miles a minute, every instant becoming a split second in time while he thought up a plan, any sort of plan and order to fix the mess he'd obviously brought into himself. 

After a few more minutes and a couple of hundred more miles, Ian finally brought the truth out into the open, voicing it to the empty room. "I'm so screwed." 

************************************** 

Collete leaned her head against Zell's shoulder, feeling her father entwine his fingers in her hair and kiss her temple. Ian's blowout had taken a large toll on the young girl, and he felt at loss for what to do instead of just let her cry on his shoulder, taking her out of Garden and just letting her shed her tears for her friend. Giselle was hopeless in helping out Collete sort her feelings, instead opting to bring on the optimistic cheer for Taelon Leonhart and his mother Rinoa, and Gabrian was almost AWOL for the moment. His parents were called an hour earlier and were on their way, Edea fretting horridly over the whereabouts of her son and Cid standing vigil over the phone call as well, trying to be professional but failing miserably. Irvine mentioned that he could sense the older man's worry, and heard him break down just a few moments before the phone clicked the cradle. Amie was busy tending to students all around Garden with Nida and Xu.. 

That didn't matter. What mattered now, was Collete's state of mind. "Sweetie, ya wanna go back inside?" 

Collete nustled deeper into Zell's shoulder and murered negatively. "No." 

"Hon, I don't wantcha getting sick, you understand?" Wrapping an arm tighter around her shoulders, Zell leaned his own chin on top of her head, gently rocking her. "I know you're worried 'bout Ian. But don't, okay? The kid's strong. I like him. He'll be alright." 

"But what if he isn't, Daddy?" Collete began to sniffle. "What if he's hurt, or.." 

"Don't say it, sweetie! He's just misplaced, okay?" Zell lifted his head away from Collete's and brought her face to his, noticing the tear streaks and the water logged blue eyes. "We'll get him back. Daddy's promise!" 

Collete started giggling, wrapping her arms around Zell's muscular neck and burying her face in his chest. "Oh Daddy, you're sucha spaz!" 

"I am not!" He chirped back, grinning widely. "Wait, is spaz a good thing?" 

"I dunno." Collete shrugged. "I heard Amira say it once." 

"Oh then it can't be good." Zell playfully scowled. "That Amira chick, she actually requested to be in Irvine's class over mine! Can you believe it? _Irvine_ over me!" 

Collete's laughter echoed across the skies, bringing a smile to Zell's lips. "Daddy, she likes guns! And Uncle Irvy is kinda cute.." 

"Hey! Hey hey hey now young lady!" He scolded good heartedly. "No talking about him that way! Yech!" 

"Oh Dad!" Collete playfully swatted at his arm while Zell pretended to fend off her hands. Suddenly she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close to her, hard, and whispered in his ear "Thank you Daddy. I love you." 

"I love you too Precious." Zell murmered, wrapping his own arms around her waist and pulling her close. "Always." 

A loud clanging, a shining of light snapped Collete from her saddened state and erupted into fear. Scrambling to her feet, she flung herself into her fighting stance with Zell right beside her, determination forming on both of their faces. Zell cast a sideways glance to Collete and smiled to himself. He had taught the girl well, and it did his heart proud to see her put his teachings to good use. "Colie, remember baby always use defence first! Got it?" 

"I got it Pops!" Collete chirped. "Don't worry, I didn't forget anything you taught me." 

"Atta girl. Let's get go-" 

Zell was cut off by a loud crashing sound, and another sudden burst of light. A massive tearing was heard as the air infront of them broke apart, shredding aside as small pops of fireworks blew and screamed in massive flashes of light, popping and exploding. Collete lifted an arm to sheild her eyes and Zell placed his sunglasses on his face, wincing as his retinas burned from the flourescent cascade. Neither of them noticed a human form crawling through, grasping the grass between scratched fingers and coughing loudly as the tear repaired itself behind him and soon ceased to exist. 

Collete opened her eyes and gasped, the sound making Zell take notice as well. "Oh fuck.. Seifer!?" 

"N-Nice to see you too, chicken wuss." Seifer hacked out, gazing upwards at the two shocked people infront of him. "Just go.. Help me.." 

"Mister Almasy?" Collete said sweetly, leaning down to throw one of Seifer's arms over her shoulders. "Where's Ian? Is he alright?" 

"He's alive.." Seifer whispered, while Zell grabbed his other arm and plunked it over his own shoulder. "But we gotta get.. going.." 

"Yes sir." Collete whispered, walking Seifer back to Garden with her father on the other side. Inside her heart soared with decent news, and finally the realization that her friend was going to be alright. 

****************************************** 

[Fade by SCS. Read it! Review it!][1]

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=417063



	18. Burn

Burn  
******* 

"He's there." Seifer murmered, sipping from his cup. "Ian's still there. They wouldn't let me take him back. I begged the woman when we were out of the room, but she said Ian had to stay, and I had to warn all of you. I gotta go back too." 

He watched their eyes intently, one at a time to study their effects and emotions. Squall's cool, centered grey eyes watched him carefully along with his son Taelon next to him. Zell and his daughters, Collete and Giselle listened carefully, with Giselle nestling her head on Taelon's shoulder as the boy twitched awkwardly at the contact. Collete shrugged off any comforting touches her mother, instead concentrating on Seifer and whatever information he had. Selphie and Irvine clasped hands, watching idle and glancing at one another every few minutes. The sight of them, the feel of their eyes on him as they listened to every word he said made him feel frenzied, nervous. 

And Quistis: She just sat there, calm, cool, and collected while her eyes betrayed a ravenous urge to leap from her chair. 

"Why? Why do you have to go?" Ordin asked, rubbing the side of his chin with his thumb. "We all could very well check it out as well. You need to stay here, rest up." 

"No, Hanniele said I have to go back, watch the kid. Not like I'm gonna do this on purpose. She said I have to go back and I will. I'm just here to soothe all your fears because the kid wouldn't shut up until someone did." Seifer leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out from underneath the table, hearing his knee crack. "You can't keep me here, and you can't go back with out me." 

"Very well then. You'll have to show us where the transport is, and how to get through it anyway." Ordin walked along side the table to stand next to Seifer, and leaning himself against the side. "While we figure out how to stop this." 

"I told you how to stop it!" Seifer barked, standing to his feet. "We save the damned king, get the kid back, and come home. I don't care if I have yo gut the whole lot of you, you're not going back with out me." 

"Fine, you made your damned point." Ordin ran a hand through his russet hair, glancing around the room. "Quistis, your take? He's your son, afterall." 

"He's _our_ son!" Seifer snapped, giving Ordin an evil glare. "Both hers and mine. Don't sit there and take me out of this conversation as if I have no damned say." 

"Seifer, calm down!" Quistis barked, clenching the side sof the table ferociously. "I don't care what you do, what you say. I want my son back, and out of there! Do you understand me? Find a way to get him away from this Hanniele woman, before I kill her myself and drag him home with me!" 

"Quistis, calm down." Squall muttered her way, glancing at her with his grey eyes shadowing. "Please. We're all on edge and with Rinoa hurt we can't use any sorceress prowess to help. I know how much you wanna help Ian, but losing your temper and screaming like that won't help." 

"But Ian-" 

"Quisty, seriously, take a chill pill." Irvine murmered from his seated position. Selphie reached across his lap to take his other hand in hers, all the while watching the fiasco go on. Irvine covered her hand with his large palm and continued to stare up at Quistis, seriousness etching his features. "We'll get the kid out. I promise. We got Nida and your friend Youngju helping out with the important scientific stuff, and Ordin's lackey's doing the rest. We'll figure out how to cut the ties." 

"Ms. Trepe," Collete said, her voice gravely and low. "Me and my dad'll help with anything you need too. My momma said she'd help also. And I bet even Gabe will chip in his hands. He can work a gunblade like magic. We'll fight to the end for Ian. Even if some of us don't care for him, the rest of us really love him. We fight to the death for our friends. And we're his friends." 

"I don't want you girls involved in this." Quisted stated simply, lacing her fingers infront of her. "You're too young to throw your lives away." 

"It's our life, and we will do with it what we will." Taelon cut in sharply. Moving Giselle from his shoulder he stood up and gave a curt nod to his father before continueing. "We choose our own fates, Mrs. Trepe. No one ever made them for us, and no one ever will. We all joined Garden from our free will. Free will, Mrs. Trepe, not our parents making us. We choose to die by Garden, and Ian's Garden now, so if it comes down to it, we'll die for him." 

"I don't want you kids throwing your lives away for this." Quistis snapped back. Lacing her arms around her waist she scowled at the floor. "Not even for my son. I should be the one to give up my life for his, not you." 

"No one said anyone hadda die, Quistis!" Zell chided in. "No one is gonna die. All we need now is to figure out how to save the Unknown King-" 

"Tsunan." 

"W-What!?" 

"Tsunan." Seifer repeated. "The King's name is Tsunan. Huh, not so unknown anymore, is he?" 

"Stop it, stop it." Squall growled. He stood up from his seat and cast a glance around the room, from his son to his friends and heaved a heavy breath. Planting fist on his hip and looking downwards, he murmered low in his throat "Rinoa's hurt pretty bad. She ripped her bandage off. Her IV's she couldn't stand. She tore them out. She's rejecting the treatment we give her. The glass.. poisoned her blood. Nothing works.. her blood is too rare, can't find a doner. No medicine is helping.. hit an artery.. the surgery.. I.." 

"Dad?" Taelon asked, his voice hoarse. "Dad..? Mom?" 

"Your mother's dying Taelon." Squall murmered. Stepping to the door, he kept his face downcast before his voice broke "I'm so sorry. Meeting ajourned." 

~+~ 

His back seared with pain each and every time his shirt rubbed against it, the raw flesh tainted with reddening pain that sifted through his veins like fire. Gabrian Kramer was always lnew how to have a good time. With slight trickles of blood falling down his back, this one time he pondered if he indeed had gone too far. The fight with Seifer Almasy, toppled with what he thought was true love ended up being a shameless fling, nothing he ever thought could hurt so damned much. Rejection, obscession, they went hand in hand in his life. One could not survive with out the other, even if they weren't complete opposites. He could not exist with it either. 

Nothing would ever change. He'd always be the son of Cid and Edea Kramer, even if they refused the part of parenting. 

By now they should have been called.. 

"Gabey?" 

"Huh?" Gabe snapped. Turninggn to his door, he saw Contessa watching him carefully, eyeing him. "Oh. Hi Tessa." 

"Well, little brother, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" She cheerfully chided, stepping inside his new room. "I saw you walk through the Garden gates in pain. Another fight?" 

"Hey, you're only older by three minutes, big sis. And no, I didn't get into any fights." Gabrian grunted as he shifted into his seat, patting the spot next to him. "So what'd I miss?" 

"Only Mister Almasy's return, and a few more bits of info." Tessa slid an arm around his back, and pulled away when she felt the mesh bandages and heard the hiss of pain from his lips. "Gabe, what the hell happened?" 

"Nothing, alright?!" He shotued angrily. "Nothing! And don't even spill a word about this to anyone, not Giselle, and not that son of a bitch Taelon!" 

"Giselle? Not Gissy?" Contessa smirked slightly, and pulled at his shirt. "Let me see. I wanna see what you've done now." 

"Hey, hands off, hands off, you'll tear the bandage." Gabrian muttered. Standing to his feet, he unbuttoned his shirt carefully and pulled it off his back, showing a large mesh bandage taped to his skin. He motioned for Tessa to remove a part of the bandage, and she did, pulling it away to reveal an elaborate design of inks and dark colours, etched into his skin. It was stained crimson due to the needlework, but exquistie nonethe less, heralding a perfect sign of Ifrit, the fire God in all his glory. It stretched from the top of his shoulder to his waist, covering half of his back with it's mark of fire and brimestone, and seemed to glow beautifully in the dim light. Contessa gingerly strung a finger down the lines and removed her hand with her brother's gasp and replaced the bandages, as gently as she had removed them. "Had a nice look, Tessa?" 

"My word.. You've gotten a tattoo?" 

"Yeah." Gabrian scoffed. "Nidce huh?" 

"Did it hurt much?" 

"A bit." He stepped towards his lamp and brightened the bulb, casting a look back to his sister. "Enough. What's gonna be done about Fresh?" 

"Ian.. you mean.. is being resolved. Right now, I'm more worried about that 'son of a bitch' as you called, Taelon." Contessa whispered sadly. 

"Taelon?" Gabrian snorted. "What's wrong with him now?" 

"The war like fight that Ian issued, caused Mrs. Heartilly a lot of harm. She was stable for a few days, but.." Contessa sighed, meloncholy spirited around her. "She's going to die. Very young, I'm afraid. Nothing Doctor Kadowaki does is helping. Her sorceress blood is resisting everything, and not even her father is the correct blood type. It doesn't matter. The lead in the glass, the surgery that took place to repair her neck.. all of it is for nothing. It won't help, so she's slowly bleeding to death. Infection, everything that could happen is happening." 

"Oh, damn." Gabrian grumbled. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone." 

"Except our own mother." 

"Edea? Huh. I don't care." Sniffing a bit, Gabrian looked away from Contessa, hiding his face. "Where is she anyway? Wasn't Cid and her called since their precious Garden was hurt?" 

"Our _mother_ and _father_ have been called, and yes they're on their way." Contessa whispered spitefully. "And I wish you didn't speak so unwell of them." 

"And I wish you didn't speak so damned highly of them. When will you learn? They left us behind so they can go galavalant across the damned world, seeking kids to take care of while we stayed here and worked our asses off to be their prides and joys." He snorted then, running a hand through his hair. "It didn't even take them knowing that you were a-" 

"Silence, brother someone is coming." Contessa snapped. Gabrian nodded and pulled his robe over his parially nude form, hiding the bandage on his back. Angie persed her thin lips together as she appeared in the doorway, glancing at Contessa and then at Gabrian worriedly, confused. 

"Is everything alright?" She chirped, and Gabrian nodded his head. "Oh.. well alright. Your parents are here. Shall I tell them you're sleeping?" 

"Say that for me, Angie, but Tessa here wants to surround herself in Mommy and Daddy's love and joy." Gabrian waved a hand flippantly, rolling onto his side on his bed. "Lock the door behind you. I have some thinking to do." 

"Whatever, Gabey." Contessa growled as she slammed the door behind her, locking it into place. "Whatever you say." 

She burned with lvoe and hate for her brother. Sometimes, she could never tell which was which with him. 

All she knew, was that she burned. 

~+~ 

Her vision was blurry as she watched him, carefully tracing the room. His leg was making no noise at all, quiet, serene. it was almost real to him, and everyone else who encountered it. It was as if he never had cancer, he never klost the limb, only the slight shakiness that encountered it never appeared again. She envied him as well. He was always so calm, cracking a joke or two o lighten even the gravest of moods. He was even cracking jokes as he paced, giving her a smile each moment that passed while he nervously tousled his hair. 

He looked so much like his son.. 

"So, thats what the Gregoreo said to the T-rexaur that passed! Haha! Funny, huh Rin?" Laguna chided happily. 

Rinoa gave him a weak smile and nodded as best she could, the slow movement of her head barely noticable. "Funny." She whispered, her voice hoarse and only a meager whisper. 

"It sure is!" Laguna chirped proudly. He sat down in a chair next to her, giving her the warmest smile he could muster, but it was hard. Seeing the once vibratn woman, the user of 'Meanie!' laying here, half dead and scared caused him more grief than he had ever felt before. Even when his own beloved Raine had passed on, it didn't hurt as much. He knew his son wouldn't suffer, knowing the loss, and he didn't have to watch her die. That luxory didn't suffice here. Rinoa was dying, and he, Squall, and Garden was powerless to stop it. 

She was in so much pain.. 

...and wanted to be let free. 

"Hey Rin-Rin? How'z about I bring Tae in here to see ya?" Laguna asked mildly, refusing to let the angst in his voice show. "He'll wanna see ya." 

"No.." Rinoa gasped. "Not.." 

"Like that, huh?" He placed a palm under his chin and watched her for a few more minutes, letting the silence soak in. "We'll wait until you're better! Yeah, that's it! You'll be up in no time, and able to see the relationship between my handsome grandson and that cutie Angie Zaback, Wards' daughter, I must remind you, blossom! You'll be seeing wedding bells for them in no time." 

"Taelon.." Rinoa murmered sleepily. Her eye lids fluttered to her cheeks and she sighed, breathing deeply. "Tae...Lon.." 

"Yep, that's your boy. And my grandson, don't you forget it!" Laguna chuckled to himself, reliving an old joke that seeped to his lips before he could stop it. "Hey, rinoa, you ever hear the one.. about.. Rinoa? Rin?" 

Nothing. The silence of the machines echoed in his mind, as the heart moniter stopped it's beeps into a sudden lull. When the doctors rushed in to revive her battered heart, Laguna held out an arm to cease them, stop them from doing any more damage to the tortured woman. 

"Let her go in peace, you guys." He murmered, casting one last glance in her direction. Wiping the tears that soaked his eyes, Laguna gave one last wistful sound before pushing the doctors out of the room. "This is one angel that no one can clip her wings." 

~+~ 

_I can feel it._

Feel what? 

_It's gone.. she's gone_

Who? Dad? Dad, talk to me 

_Oh Hyne Taelon.. Your mother... Oh dear Hyne.._

No..Not now..no.. Dad? 

_Taelon, I-_

No.. I'll get him for this.. Ian.. you're gonna pay.. 

~+~ 

_And every night I burn, I dream the crow black dream.. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
I know. It's late. I'm sorry it's short too.. bad me, bad me..


	19. Understanding

Understanding   
************** 

They fitted firmly to her hand. Them. The actual pair of twins that came second to his heart, with her and her sister coming in first. They were bright, red, and gleamed in the light, the metal knucles on each strip of strong leather tenticle and powerful strips of steel bolted on each upper palm just oozed of power, of strength. The pair once belonged to him, her father, and he had secretly pressed them in to be resized and fitted accordingly, and added straped for better comfort, but they were still his. That, proportioned with everything they stood for, this pair, was held above all else. They gleamed. They shone 

They were fucking beautiful. 

"Dad, I can't take these." Collete whimpered, wondering how on earth she would be able to take them off. "They're yours. I can't take them." 

"Hey, it'd be either you or Gissele, and I think they'd get more care from you." Zell winked at his daughter shyly, grinning from ear to ear. "Beside, I've got another pair. But these, girl, I think you deserve." 

"But Daddy, they're _yours_, and I can't take them." She began to weakly pull her right fingers from the glove, and found the soft texture of the insides hard to part with. "I know how hard you worked for them." 

"Doesn't matter." Zell gripped his daughter's hands firmy in his own, kneeling down to look up at her. All this time he had been amazed at how differently both girls' had grown, with Giselle adapting her mother's soft, sweet side and Collete inheriting his harsh, rough exterior and beautiful golden heart. They both were so different, even when he had spent more time with one the sides still showed, with Giselle crinching her nose in disgust at hot dogs while Collete wolfed them down two by two. Seperate sides of two coins, he always phrased it. Two coins of love and trust, hate and distrust, both of them had it. ANd bth of them used it in their own way. "You're my girl, Colie. You're my girl, and that's what matters. I can't give these to Giss, she'd put them on the back burner and forget about their existance. But you, I know you'll take care of 'em, even if they _are_ old and ratty." 

"Oh Daddy." Collete gently swiped Zell's shoulder, grinning widely. "I love them. You took real great care of them all these years. They're still beautiful." 

"Much like you, Colie." He reached upwards with both his hands and cradled her face in his palms, watching her face with joy. "You're getting so grown up now. So much older. Someday I'm not gonna be able to keep up with you." 

"That'll never happen, Pops." Collete wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and hugged him tight, burying her face in his clean smelling hair. "I should be worrying about keeping up with you!" 

"Sweety," He murmered, pulling her away. "There's something we gotta talk about." 

"You're not sick, are you?" 

"No.. hon.." Zell shook his head. He motioned for Collete to sit on her bed, and he took the seat next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Sweety, something happened a few hours ago. I don't know if you've heard.. but Mrs. Leonhart was very sick. And hurt, from the mess that happened with Ian." 

"Dad, what's really going on?" Collete asked, point blank. "Don't sugar coat it. I can take it.. Wait, did you just say 'was'?" 

"Cole-" 

"Daddy?" She whimpered. "Is.. Is Mrs. Leonhart dead?" 

Zell shuddered deeply and nodded, pressing the sob that built up in his throat to remain there. Collete's eyes widened in shock, and she gaped like a fish as the news sunk in. Rinoa Leonhart, dead? Because of Ian? Oh Hyne, Collete thought, what about Taelon? He must be out of his mind right now, with this news. But everyone knew that the damage that Ian had caused was enough wreck havock on a body, and he did enough in the short time he was with them to do more than just that.Each time he spasmed the world would erupt around their feet, transforming solid ground into dust right below their feet. Rinoa's had been the only fatality known for the time being, but there was still the chance.. 

"Daddy, where's Tae? He needs his friends right now." 

"No, hon, Taelon needs to be alone." Zell whispered harshly. "There's somethin' else I wanna talk to you about." 

Collete raised a wary eyebrow, and Zell scooted closer to his daughter. "What is it Pops?" 

"Hon.. How do you feel about Ian?" 

"Huh? Wha.. Whatta ya mean?" Collete stammered out. "Dad, what're you asking that for?" 

"Colie, in the Infirmary, where Ian was.." Zell reahed upwards to scratch the back of his neck. This was going to be harder than he thought. "There's security cameras. They caught everything you said to him." 

"Oh." She whispered slowly, looking away. "You mean you heard." 

"I did." Zell scooted closer to his daughter, and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Cole, are you sure you're in love with him? Are you sure it wasn't just a one time feeling, maybe?" 

"I don't know, Dad." COllete shrugged. Her feelings as of late had tampered down a bit, but not with out some doing of her own. Busying herself over trivial matters, refusing to see him, think of him, working with others, male others who helped ease her mind. Working with her hands and just getting away from him was the best way to fix it, until she admitted her feelings full outright they rushed back and she had to start the tamperin down process all over again. "I really don't." 

"Ya know, I remember when Quisty used to have a crush on your Uncle Squall..." Zell mused incoherently, ignoring the look of 'eww' on her face. "She thought she was in love with him, and ended up being wrong. Some sorta facination with him, an' being an older sister type. But it all worked out well, and if it didn't Ian wouldn't be here, haha!" 

"Very funny, Pops!" Collete playfully scowled, jamming a fist into Zell's ribs. "But I guess you're right. He was the new kid, and one of the few guys who didn't treat me like the star quarter back on the team." 

"Aren't you, though?" 

"No, dad, Gabe is." 

"Oh." He thought abesent mindly. "Well you can kick his ass anytime." 

"I know." Collete wrapped her arms around Zell's waist and sighed into his chest, letting him hug her back closely. "Daddy, don't worry. I guess it's not too much. Maybe I was facinated with him because he treated me like a friend and not someone who could teach him how to throw a curveball." 

"Hey I love ya baby girl!" Zell chirped, pulling her into a bear hug. "And not for your curve ball!" 

"Only because you're the one who taught me the curve ball!" 

Planting a kiss on the top of her head, Zell excused himself from her room when a knock on her door ensued. Opening the handle revealed a very pert, very Shimering smily Giselle Dincht, gasing up at her father with dimpled cheeks and a smile before giving a glance to her twin. "Hi Daddy!" She chirped highly. "Mister Kinneas asked me to tell you to go help him down in the ballroom. Can me and Colie have a littel talk?" 

"I don't see the harm in it.." Zell murmered, oblivious to Collete's waving hands of protest. "I'll see you girls later." 

Both girls bid their good nights to the retreating form of their father, neither speaking until he was clear out of sight. Giselle locked the door behind her and gave a wicked grin to her sister, turning on the light in her room. "So, you actually told Ian you were in love with him?" 

"When he was passed out worse than a junkie from their high." Collete snapped. "What's it to ya?" 

"Well.. I don't know.. I mean.." Giselle gave her another flirty grin that seemed much more menacing than usual. "I wanna know how you can fall in love with someone with out sleeping with them." 

"Ya know what?" Collete snapped. "You're not only a sick bitch, but you're a delusional sick bitch. You don't have to get a man in bed to see if you're in love with them, you dumbass." 

"Of course you do." Giselle hopped up ontop of her sister's hope chest, swinging he legs infront of her. "That's how I knew I wasn't in love with Gabe. The sex got too boring." 

"Hyne, when the hell were you a virgin?" Collete growled. "So what are you here for anyway? We stopped sharing dorms once you made SeeD." 

"I wanted to see if you were up for a little challenge." Giselle mused. She tilted her head skyward and gazed outside her sister's window, thinking thoughtfully. "I was wondering if you'd like to place a bet?" 

"I don't bet." 

"You might want to for this one. Do you remember Grandma Dincht's pearl necklace you wanted so bad?" Giselle cooed. "I might be letting you have it.." 

"Her.. pearls?" Collete stared at her sister, her throat drying. "The pearls that she gave to you because she thought you would get more use from them? The exact same strand I always watched her put on every morning, just to make her feel pretty?" 

"Those." 

"Whatta ya want me to do?" 

"Easy, simple thing." Giselle pertly replied. "Sleep with Ian." 

"What?! Now I _know_ you're fucking nuts." Collete stood up from her bed and crossed the room, pulling open her door and pointing out into the hall. "Get out." 

"Now hold on, sis-" 

"Get out or you'll be carried out." 

"Stop it, Colie!" Giselle snapped. Jumping to her feet she clenched her fists at her sides and sneered at her sister. "Think about it. I know how much they mean to you. And it's really nothing. One night for a whole plathoon of memories. Think about that, Cole." 

"I said.. leave." Collete cast her eyes downward. "Just go." 

"Fine!" Giselle shrieked. "I'll just sell them." 

"What!?" Collete brought her eyes to Giselles, sapphire fire gleaming. "What did you say!?" 

"They're mine." She said, sweetly. "I don't really want them, and I don't look too good in them. I can't carry them as well as diamonds." She gave a wink at her sister's fuming stance and sighed. "And they're mine. I can do what I want with them" 

"Don't you dare! Those were Gramma's, and were meant to be worn around a Dincht neck, not some strangers!" 

"Then do it." She smiled, and for a moment Collete thought she saw vicious canines coming from her lips. "Sleep with Ian and let them be in our family forever." 

"I-I can't do that." Collete whispered, shaking her head. "I can't do that to Ian. I'll buy them off you then." 

"Not for the gil I can get for them in Deiling, Colie." Reaching into her pocket, Giselle pulled out a long streaming strand of pearls that winked in the dim light. Ivory, shining and beautiful, they tirled on Giselle's finger elgantly, even making the vicious girl look charming. "You want them? You know what to do." 

"Fine." 

"I didn't hear you." 

"I said, _fine_. I'll do it." Collete looked away, not letting her teary eyes show. 

Giselle smiled and walked to the door, dropping the strand into her pocket. "You mean you'll do _him_." 

"Get the fuck outta here, Giss." 

"Bye Colie!" She blew her sister a flagrant kiss, and relished in the disgusted look on her face while she slammed the door on her back. Walking down the halls, Giselle had to stifle a giggle while fingering the salt water balls in her pocket, their sleek smoothness tantilizing her palm. It wouldn't have mattered if Collete had slept with Ian. She would have given the pearls to her sister years ago if she truely knew how much they meant to her. After all, she had no need for them. There would be no way she could fence a decent price for them in Deiling. 

They were fake. 

~+~ 

Taelon and Gabrian talked for the first time in their lives. No one threatened death. No one hit anyone. They sat down across from one another and spoke with words of admiration and pleasantries between one another. Taelon had come to him, finding out that finally he had come back no worse for wear. Once he had removed his shirt and showed Taelon the large bandage that covered most of his back to shock the younger boy, and laughed at him later as he pulled the shirt back onto his skin as gently as he could and relayed his night of drunkeness and the tatoo he recieved as pennance for it. Afterwards things had gone smoothly, with Cid and Edea Kramer arriving just minutes before and preparing Rinoa's burial. 

"So." Gabrian snidely remarked. "Your best friend killed your mother. How cute." 

"That's a horrible thing to remark about, Gabe." Taelon growled. "I can't blame him. I can't. He didn't have control. And mom refused any medication, had Dad sign a DNR order. Her bloodwork, all wrong. Nothing could save her becuase she refused to help herself.." 

"Nice way of talking about your mother, who died a few hours ago." Gabrian curtly replied. "I don't understand you. We all adored Mrs. Heartilly, I'll admit that, but.." 

"My mom died because she thought she could heal herself, _not_ because of Ian. As for Ian.." 

"I say you rip him a new one, make him feel like shit." Gabrian toyed with the bandage at his back, lowering his shirt again while glancing in the mirror. "He was the one who-" 

"Why don't I yell at you?" Taelon snapped back, catching Gabrian off guard. "It was your big idea to touch the damned tomb anyways. Get a piece of bone? Gabe, that's sacrilage. You gotta have more respect for the dead than that." 

"Well excuse me, mister Hey did you know your girlfriends' a slut?! I could have found out about Gissy on my own, Leonhart." 

"Maybe. You ever find out who she was pining for?" 

Gabrian twitched slightly, remembering exactly who it was. "Don't you know?" 

"No." 

"Come on." 

"I'm serious." 

"Really." 

"Damn it." Taelon hissed. "Yes really. Yes, I'm serious. Yes, by Hyne I'm serious! Do you know?" 

Gabrian heaved a breath and shook his head slowly. "Believe it or not, pipsqueek, it's you." 

"Huh?" Taelon squeeked out. He ran a hand through his hair and blinked, shaking his head. "Me? Are you positive?" 

"Yeah, I am positive." He cast a sideways glance to Taelon before yanking his shirt back up, securing the bandage across his back. "Didn't you notice? She's always touching you, hugging you, comforting you. She used to do that all the time with Tristan, and before she got to know who you were, to me. It's her game, man. Her game. Cole was right. She's a social climbing bitch who'll spring to nothing to get her own way." 

"Look. I don't wanna talk about that. There's too much shit going on right now than to talk about the bicycle of Balamb Garden." Taelon ran a hand through his hair and sighed, closing his eyes. "Yo.. Gabe. I know why you hate your mom and all. But have you ever thought of forgiving her, getting on with your life?" 

"No." Gabrian mumbled. "I don't need to forgive her and get on with my life. And don't give me this holier than thou bullshit. My mother isn't the sweet woman your mom was. You know what she did to me and Tessa. And my father, the _great_ head master Cid. Sure, he's great to anyone but his _own_ kids." 

"Hey, calm down Gabe." Taelon started. "Really. Your mom's here now, man. So's your dad. Talk to them. Let them know how you feel. You ever try that?" 

"No." He muttered again. "It wouldn't work. All they'd do is feed me a bunch of bullshit about how this was the best damned road for me, and how others needed them more. That's all they'd do. They may not have been around all my life but I know them." 

"How could-" 

"Simple." Gabe barked back at Taelon over his shoulder. "All Cid ever talked about was SeeD. SeeD, SeeD, SeeD. That's all he cares about. And my mother, Edea? She's so greatful that Cid forgave her for the damned mess all those years back that she's gonna follow him to the ends of the damned earth to get more candidates. Don't you know that over the years SeeD wannabe's have been dropping like flies, most of them going off to be higher officials than ordinary mercs like us? There's no sorceresses anymore, so who wants to be SeeD? No one on this continant, thats for sure." 

"So. That's why you're so angry." Taelon shook his head and stood up, walking to the door. "Look. Take a walk with me. I thought I was the one you wanted to talk to about my mother's death, not your hatred for your parents." 

"Shit.." Gabrian hissed. "Damn.. yeah. I'm sorry. How's your dad taking it?" 

"Dad's not doing too good. He's hiding himself out in his room, not talking to anyone. Won't come out until the exact minute Mister Almasy takes us to where ever we're gonna go." He sat back down on the bed, looking to the floor. "I don't know how he's gonna survive." 

"Talk about soulmates." 

"Most definetely." 

"Is there.. anything to be done?" Gabrian asked, his voice more soothing. "I can help with the arrangements.. was there anything special she wanted?" 

"Cremated.. small memorial. Close friends and family." Taelon's voice choked off, his throat becoming dry. "Something small.. Mom wasn't.. wasn't flashy or anything.." 

"Tae. I'm so sorry man." 

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault." Taeln cast a sideways glance. "I hope." 

"You still mad at Fresh?" Gabrian nudged a little. "An hour ago you wanted to kill him." 

"Of course I am." Taelon snapped. "If he didn't go nuts, then my mom would be alive. But then again if..." 

"Stop this if, ands, or buts crap. Fresh went mad, and your mom got in the way. Don't think you should be blaming him for insanity.. I think." Gabrian thought for a moment, bringing his eyebrows together. "Or can you?" 

"No." 

"No big." Ganrian pulled out his jacket form his cloest and looked it over, deciding that it wasn't good enough and flung it back in. "Look, I gotta go talk to Edea and Cid. I promised Tessa I'd have lunch with them before we went to the tomb. You wanna join us?" 

"...Nah. I'm gonna go talk to my dad. See how he's doing." Taelon stood up and stretched his arms over his head, cracking his back in loud pops. "Hey. Thanks." 

"For just sitting here and doing nothing?" Gabrian chuckled, letting a grin go to his features. "Sure. Anytime." 

~+~ 

The hours passed by more quickly than he ever thought they would. He walked around the town, watching the people carefully while dressed in rags to keep himself from being known. Hanniele might see him as who he was, Ian Trepe, but everyone else saw him as King Tsunan, the savior of their land, the haughty bastard who ruled ove them with an iron fist and high taxes. From what he knew and learned from Hanniele, Tsunan was a cruel king with a golden heart, contradicting everything anyone stood for, and paving his own path. That itself lead to his destruction, and buried near beneath the ground of the Kings, and being unknown, one of the worst insults you can betrothe upon royalty. 

"Stop! Thief!" A woman cried. Ian turned sharply and was hit by the fleeing body of a young child, no more than ten years old as he dropped a loaf of bread and fell to his back, writhing in pain. Ian took note with wide eyes that the boy was cut and bruised beyond belief, and crouched down next to him, holding him by the shoulders. 

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked the boy, sitting him upright. The child struggled against his captor, twisting his body against the arms that held him. "Hey, stop it kid! I'm just trying to help!" 

"Please! Let me go!" the boy cried. He reached upwards and gripped the hood of Ian's garb, and yanked it down harshly, grabbing a lock of hair in the process. "What..? King Tsunan?!" 

"Shit.." Ian yanked the hood of his garb back onto his head, cursing under his breath. "Look, are you okay? Do you need any-" 

"Please sir, don't kill me!" The child cried, bringing himself to his knees. "I didn't know it was you!" 

"Kill you? Why would I kill you? Geeze kid, you're hurt, come on.." Ian gripped the kids' shoulders gently, pulling him to his feet. Kneeling down, he concentrated hard and sought out in his mind the words and the spell to encase the boy. Hissing out "Curaga!" a blue aura enveloped the child, and the cuts and bruises healed, revealing soft skin tissue underneath the childs' tattered clothing. The boy stopped his crying and loked up at Ian with soulful brown eyes as the warm fire of healing coursed through his veins. "There.. Why did you steal from the vender? Did you lose your money on the way?" 

The child opened his lips to speak but was cut off by a cry of anger, and a hand clamping down on his mouth. "Silence, you!" Shouted a guard, holding the child tightly with his arm. "Or I'll kill you where you stand!" 

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ian grabbed the boy away from the guard and pushed himself infront of his quivering body. "Kill him!? What're you trying to do, scare him to death?!" 

"The boy commited a crime, your highness." The guard murmered, reaching behind Ian to grab the boy back. The child screamed as the guard pulled him away, holding him tightly. "This child-" 

"Is a kid, damn it! The hell are you thinking, coming at him like that? Don't you see the kids' scared enough as it is?" He looked around and saw the crowds beggining to form, and gulped. "Let him go, _now_, he didn't do anything. I'll pay for the damned bread if thats what it takes-" 

"Sire, by your own rules, the boy must be thrown into the holding quarters until further judgement is passed!" The guard barked angrily, throwing the boy to the lackeys behind him. "He will pay for his crime! We all must do accordingly. By your own hand, the law is written." 

"Then I change it!" Ian shouted. "What judgement is he gonna do? Let him off with a warning! Something! Make him do community service for all I care, just don't throw him in the holding cells!" 

"Sire, you're beggining to become delusional." The guard grunted. He motioned for two of his five lackeys to take the scremaing child into custody, and the remaining three to grip Ian by the arms. "Take the king back home. The hot sun is getting to him." 

"Yes sir!" The lackey's shouted, dragging Ian back down the dusty road after the boy. Ian screamed and shouted, until the head guard came up to him and gripped his chin, forcing him to face him. 

"Silence, _now_, child, or I'll be forced to silence you myself!" 

Ian spat out one last obscenity to the Guard and nodded, shoving the hands of the lackey's off his body as he continued down the path himself, escorted by two younger guards. One left behind nodded and waited until he was out of earshot before whispering to his commander "Sir, you called him a child. Why?" 

The head guard smiled wickedly, his features grotesque with sinister intention. "The king _is_ a child.. In heart and in soul. His body is wrapped in that of an older being yes, but deep down.." 

"Yes, sir?" 

"Nothing Drakkhar. Go. To the castle. We must prepare tomorrow." The Head guard mumbled as he walked. "Blood will pour, and we shall truely see if he is the King." 

~+~  
_Just a quick note to say thank you to the Midgar Demon for his great reviews on the works of mine he's read. I simply adore how he and many other were completely honest about what they read, and always were very contructive in their critism, and made it clear whether they were pleased or upset with any outcome I chose to portray.   
Thank you and thank everyone else who has reviewed my stories so far. It's a very wonderful experiance to see that people appreciate what I do, and how I do it.   
Thank you.. thank you so much.. There is no way I can cease to be pleased by the feedback I've recieved. Thank you all!  _


	20. Eccentra

Eccentra  
***********

Cid stood back and watched his wife and daughter embrace and hold one another, his wife running her hands lovingly through his daughters' hair. Contessa gave a weary smile back to her mother and nodded when the older woman cupped her face and whispered words of worry and fear, which the younger girl simply shrugged off, opting to reach out and hold her mother close, needing the comfort of her arms. Behind them Gabrian stood stiffly, clasping his hands at the small of his back with a cold look on his face and a pained stare in his eyes. The aura around him made Cid stay in his tracks with out moving, ceasing his option of walking towards his young son and gripping him in a tight bear hug, as he thanked Hyne for sparing his sons' life. Each second that tipped by seemed to last a millenium, and when Edea let go of her tearful daughters' face and approached her son, the boy backed away stiffly, refusing to look her in the eye. 

"Gabe?" Edea whispered, stepping towards him lightly. "Son, what is wrong?" 

"Nothing." Gabrian tartly replied. He cast a look to Contessa, who began to seeth silently and murmered "Shouldn't we get going? Ian can't be trapped there forever." 

"Gabbey, what's wrong with you?!" Contessa shouted at her brother. "Mom and Dad are here, now, and with us when we need them, but you're being a little dork about it." 

"Tessa, let's just go, alright?" He sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Edea and Cid-" 

"Edea and Cid? Don't tell me I just heard our first names from your mouth, Gabrian." Cid spoke up. He stepped towards his son with his own hands clasped around him, giving him a saccrine look. "You know more about respect than that, son." 

"Look, Tessa and I are about to take a long distance journey into another realm, Headmaster. We need to get prepared." He ran a hand through his dark hair and smirked. "Beside, it's just us children. Just your blood, not some pathetic orphans you need to _help_ live their lives." 

Edea's fingers went to her lips and she inhaled sharply, looking away from Contessa. "Gabrian how can you say something like that? You've always come first in our lives, both of you." 

"She's right son." Cid chided in. "I don't want to hear-" 

"Hear _what?_" Gabrian said softly. His voice was even and secure, quiet, yet his eyes impacted fear. "Hear the truth? That you abandoned us? Sent us here to be raised by a buncha flukes in dresses wearing woks on their heads?" He began to clap then, slowly, calculating each movement his palm made. "Brilliant, headmaster. God fucking beautiful way to raise your kids." 

"Gabby!" Contessa shouted, slamming a fist into his shoulder. "Hush! Mom and Dad are here now, don't ruin it!" 

"Oh yes, Tessa, wonderful. Just wonderful." Gabrian laughed then, and turne dhis leering gaze back on Edea's pale shocked face. "And you, mother dear? Don't you just love how we've grown with out your influence? Thank you so much for depriving us of your spit filled napkins to our faces, and cherished hugs form your icicle arms. Love how you shared your love with everyone but your own fucking _children_-!" 

Edea's hand lurched out sharply, bringing a stinging slap to his face. Gabrian squeeked out a shocked gasp, gripping his cheek and turning away. He stood there breathing heavily, blinking back unshed tears for a few long moments and spuitting into the ground. When he finally brought his scorned face up again, his cheeks burned and he reached out and grabbed Contessa's arm tightly in his hand, dragging her away, barking "Let's go. Now!" 

"Gabe!" Contessa shouted, tripping in her steps. "Gabe, stop!" 

"Let's just go, Tessa, please." He whispered, sniffling hard. "I just wanna go, alright? Now. Please Tessa, please." 

"Gabrian Kramer if you don't let me go I'm gonna transfer to Trabia right this instant just to get away from you!" She barked back, pulling her arm from his grasps. He let go sharply and stood his ground, his eyes frozen and tear filled. "What is with you?" 

Gabrian gave her a cold look and stood stiffly, casting a glance behind her to see if they were followed "Would you really do that Tess?" 

"What?" Contessa whispered. 

"Leave me. Here. Behind while you go trancing off to trabia, or Galbadia, or, or where ever you want." He heaved a sigh and his shoulders sagged, giving him a defeated look. "Would you really leave me?" 

"Oh Gabby.." Contessa whispered. She put her arms around his shoulders and hugged him hard, pulling him close. "You know I'd never leave you. There's no way I could get away from you, you're my brother." 

"Oh yeah? They're our parents, and they left me, left us behind." Gabrian leaned his head on her shoulder and whimpered slightly, letting his tears run free. "I can't be alone Tessa, I just can't. Do you know how hard it is? You don't, 'cause you're still caught up in the fantasy that they still love us." 

"Gabe, please.." 

"No, Tessa, you _have_ to know this!" Gabrian pulled away and bore down into her eyes, squeezing her arms tight enough for her to squeek out in pain. "They don't love us. Giselle never loved me and Darna never loved you. All we have is eachother Tess. All we have is each other." 

"No, that's not true." Contessa hissed. "If you would just open up your heart and welcome them, we have _friends_ and even _family_ you're so coldly shutting out. Thaw your heart Gabrian and let them in already." 

"I don't need them." He stated simply. "I only need you, as my sister. Understand?" 

"I'm not gonna be there forever Gabe." Contessa said, stepping away. "I can't be. And you know it. We've gotta live our seperate lives, brother, no matter if we're twins, or whatever. We'll always be together, but someday, Gabe, we've gotta seperate." 

"You know we can't, ever!" People began crowding around them, casting them looks. Gabrian gave them a cold stare and they soon disipated, leaving the pair alone. "You know why." 

"How could I forget?" Contessa barked back. Yanking her arm away she glared at him hard before whispering "Don't you ever think I will either." 

"If you leave me I'll die, Tessa." He whispered low, barely enough for her to hear. "I'll die." 

"Don't you think I know that?!" 

"Our connection, whatever the hell this link is, you know what'll happen if we're seperated." His shoulders sagged and he pulled her close again, cradling his face in her shoulder. "I don't wanna die Tessa. Please don't l-leave me alone.." 

"Gabe..Gabe please.." Contessa murmered. She draped her arms loosly around his back and held hard, holding him against herself. "It's gonna be alright." 

"Promise?" 

"Of course." 

"What will I ever do with out you Tessa?" Gabrian murmered. "What will I ever do." 

Contessa sighed inwardly and pulled her brother into a tighter embrace. The link they had was cause effect, and she knew that unless they could find a way to break the hold, they would forever be connected, forever be entwined into one another. Contessa grimaced at the thought of being tied down to Gabrian Kramer all of their lives and shuddered. She loved him like he was everything in the world, but her own life some how and some way had to be her own. 

~*~ 

Giselle watched them carefully, her features etched in confusion. The one emotional position she never expected to see Gabrian Kramer would be falling apart right before her eyes. Even when they were together, he always seemed preocupied, in some way physically there while mentally elsewhere. It was as if his heart held bounds for something greater, and even though the rumours went around after her fling with another boy ended horribly, and her new relationship with Gabrian sprang up, she was still lonely and tired, and bored of trying to change them to fit her needs. In the end she would make them, break them, and send them on their merry way. 

But Gabrian Kramer was different. He was hard to train, hard to mold. yet when she finally created him to be the one she wanted him to be, he changed again. Back into the lonesome dove she always knew him to be, with one difference. He was in love with her, and used her as his own form of solace against the world. She had become his rock, and she hated it. Even when he admitted to her the bond that Contessa and he shared, it did little to soften her views. She couldn't be tied down, held down for no one. Even when they were crippled by something beyond their abilities to control. 

But it did not mean she couldn't worry about him. And her. It was the only reason she stayed with him for so long, pulling his chain, yanking his leash... 

"Hey stupid." A female voice hissed from behind her. "Stop staring at the twins and get your ass equiped already." 

"Hmph. You're not in the brightest of moods, sis." Giselle turned around and gave Collete a saccrine smile, tilting her head ajacently. "Is it pre-prom night jitters?" 

"Swallow dick and die." Collete grumbled, much to her sister's amusement. "I'm still not interested in all your bullshit. I just want Gramma Dincht's pearls, since you're so callous to get rid of them." 

"It's not my fault pearls just aren't my brew." She sighed heavily then, tracing a finger along her neck. "My features are just too delicate for those ugly things." 

Collete flinched. The pearls were far from ugly. They were charming, elegant and sourceful, beautiful in every way. Giselle had no reason to constantly put them down, unless she was hiding something else, something much deeper inside of her. It was always that way with the prissy twin, always putting one thing down into no esteem while pondering on another. Collete eye'd her sister closely, trying to read her thoughts. What exactly was going on inside her head? 

Brushing the thoughts form her mind, Collete cleared her throat. "Whatever. Let's go." 

"Colie, do you think Taelon's gonna be okay?" Giselle asked, walking alonfside her sister. "I mean, he seemed kind of cold to me-" 

"Maybe he's cold to you because he doesn't bloody like you?" Collete snapped. Giselle seemed taken aback, pressing her dainty fingers against her lips. "Maybe he sees you for what you truely are. Some sadist bitch who'll screw a cow if it'll get her ahead in life?" 

She winced slightly, as her sister's words cut into her like a knife. "You can't mean that, Colie! You know I'm not-" 

"For the last fucking time, stop calling me _Colie!!_" Collete barked, loud enough for the people in the surrounding area to hear. "I hate that damned name! I'm sick and tired of you thinking you can just waltz right in here, call me whatever the hell you want, and get away with it. No more!" 

"Stop it Cole you're making a scene!" Giselle screamed back. "Just quiet down!" 

"No! Just.. Just.. Dammit!" Collete sank to her knees and thrust a fist into the ground, causing it to dent. "We have to clean up the school. We have to save Ian. We have to do every damned thing by the book, make it clean cut, make it easy. Butcha know what? It ain't freakin' easy! There's just too much to do, and not enough damned time.." 

"Cole-" 

"How could Gabrian do this to us?!" She screamed again. Pulling herself to her feet, she kicked in a pillar, casuing it to crack and form dust. "Of all things, he did this. I didn't even know he could do this. You've dated the son of a bitch, practically been inside and him and even then you didn't think he was able to do something so damned cruel to somone he barely fucking knew." 

"Well don't look at me." Giselle mumbled. "I may have dated him, but no one truely knows him but Contessa." 

"And that won't help much will it?" She sighed. "Tessa's as tight lipped as Gabe.. Dammit." 

"So.. you do love Ian." 

"What the hell did you say?" 

Giselle smirked slightly then, casting another glance at the twins, and then back to her sister. "You do love him. That'll make things so much easier for you, Cole." 

"What.. Are you talking about...?" Collete's eyes widened and she reddened quickly, casting a discomforting glance around her. "Are you still on that?!" 

"Of course! Remember, if you want-" 

"Go away." Collete murmered. She began to step down the halls, not daring to look at anyone who happened to see her. She could feel her steps alone, with out the aid of her twin to guide her, and her heart felt heavy, and low. All their lives the bond that should have existed between two born of the same wound was void, and gone, and that partial existance of one another always brought their hearts to an endless river of nothing, a heavy flow. Nothing could be done to bring them together. Both ideals were gone. Collete stiffled a sob as she walked past the corrider on her own. 

Giselle did the same, her thoughts a mimick of her twins. 

~+~ 

"So let the kid go!" He barked, slamming a fist down on the table. The glass counter cracked under the thrust, spiriling out in spider webbed forms across the top. Hanniele winced at the power, the anger that surged through him. The child was in containment and sentences to an unruley death, yet she didn't have the power, nor the courage to tell him otherwise. It was a storm in his eyes that rivaled the Tsunami, the exact wave of madness the king was name saked for. 

"He has committed a crime! He cannot be freed." Hanniele let a sigh through pursed lips, watching Ian pace the room. "If you release him, then the people will know something is wrong! Do you not understand?" 

"I don't understand the death of children. I don't understand that a kid can be slammed into a dungeon for trying to fill his tummy. This whole fucking charade is.. is.. sick!" Ian stomped away from her, kicking at table with a loud smash, cracking thethin wooden leg. "I can't believe it. How the hell am I supposed to sentence a child to _imprisonment_? Or, Hyne, even DEATH!?" 

"It must be done.." Hanniele whispered. She stepped up to him and pressed her hands against his shoulder blades, lightly trailing her nails down his back. The skin was rough against her fingers, tense and hard with stress and anger, it shocked her. "Please, do this. We need peace in our hearts, and your true presense helps." 

"You're fucking nuts Hanniele. Nuts, I tell you." He shrugged her hands off of his back and walked forward again, staring out the window longedly. "I can't be this Tsunan guy. I'm me, not him." 

"Is there something you need?" 

"_Yes!_" Ian shrieked at her. "I need to get home, I need to study for my exams, I need to see my mom and say 'Sorry' and Seifer and punch his lights out! While I'm at it, I need to get laid. Yep, laid. That's always nice. I'll find some screwed up, slutty classmate, maybe that really bitchy one, Deleyra or something and just completely knock her brains out her ears!" She winced slightly, and Ian turned his back on her. "Sorry. It's just.. frustrating. I need some sense of normality, and this just ain't normal. None of this is." 

Hanniele smiled wistfully, the corners of her plump lips pressing together. She stepped towards him and drew her palms against his back once more, pressing gently against the hard skin. She spun her fingers and nails intantilizing circles around the muscle, loosening the binding knots and sleeking them back into place. Her hands trailed lower, pressing against the small of his back and he let out a slight gasp, and his breathing quickened a pace. It brought a wide smile to her lips as she swept her fingers around his ribcage, pressing the bone gently, causing a small cry from his lips to escape. 

Ian pressed his hands to hers and pulled them away from his body, stepping from her. "Hey, no feeling up the great great great grand child here! Stop." 

"You are not of my own blood." Hanniele whispered. She clasped her hands infront of her and looked to the floor. "Tsunan had many wives. I was not able to covcieve for him, so he sought another to do so." 

"Oh. Shit." Ian's shoulders sagged, and he sat down on the edge of his bed. "I'm sorry." 

"Tis not your fault." She whispered, sitting down next to him. "A king has many wives. One for the year. Your father's grand parent was born to another woman, and was sent to another county across the lines last year. To be raised." 

"So, This king, or me, whatever, doesn't even raise his own kids?" 

"No." 

"Gee." Ian said, a hint of sarcasm lining his lips. "No wonder my family's so messed up." 

"It truely matters not, if you have someone along side of you to be there." She murmered. "And Tsunan is always there for me. All of us." 

Ian sagged his shoulders and smiled wanly, staring straight ahead. "I wish I had someone with me. Someone I can care about." 

Hanniele reached around his shoulder and began to massage the tender muscles of his neck, pressing into the tanned skin lightly. "You do not have a lover, where you are?" 

"Lover? Pff." He twisted his neck awkwardly, cracking the bones underneath. "Nah. Got a really good female friend, Colette. She's totally awesome." 

"Why have you not made her more?" 

"What? me and Cole?" Ian chuckled deeply, smirking as the last sound left his lips. "We're.. like, okay. She's one of the guys. A tomboy. A real cool, kooky, cute one, but one of the guys. I can talk to her about jock itch and she'd know what I was talking about, and then ask her about girls and junk with out her getting all sentimental and junk. Sorry but the thought of Cole as anymore than my little brother is scarey." 

Hanniele gave a soft smile and pressed her fingers to her temples, concentrating. Ian watched her, while the air grew heavy and tense as she murmered slightly, in whispers of a language unknown that seemed to dance across his ears like ebony music from another time. "They're coming." She whispered. "They'll be here soon." 

"Who?" Ian asked. "Mom? Seifer?" 

Hanniele smiled, and gave him a pat on his back. "Everyone." 

~+~ 

"Ordin, everything's ready." She called out, tightening her hair inside it's elastic band. The machinery they had been working on, the weapons they had been forging finally started in completion. Taelon was beside her, reworking some wires for the electrical currents that were to run through and excite the wavering energies into opening the portal in the air. It also helped direct where the opening would be, and depending upon Seifer's coordinates, and Ian's vital type, it would open in the vicinity of about a ten foot radius from the boy. The long hard battle to forge the right workings was tiring, but once it was done, Quistis Trepe nearly danced her way into the chamber itself until Seifer gripped her arm tightly in his own to cease her actions. Right now, she was anxiously awaiting when the transaction would begin. "So. Are we going or not?" 

"Give the man a few minutes, Quists." Seifer barked at her. The edgy situation had taken it's toll on him as well, and it surprised himself that he and the others hadn't aged ten years. "Hyne knows that's probably what you've asked from him over the years." 

"Care to explain that remark?" 

"Nope." 

Quistis rolled her eyes and brought her attention to the working teenagers at her disposal. Giselle and Collete Dincht had arrived a few minutes before, proceeding to get to work right away and far from eachother as possible. Gabrian and Contessa had informed their lateness, and promised they'd be intact when the real travel would begin and were given time off to spend with their parents. The Kramers wouldn't be there for long, they had said, a few days, but if all had went well in the past, they would only be gone for a few minutes in this era. That would leave much time for the family to get reaquinted with one another, and leave most of the rest of the Garden alone to clean up and fix the rest of the mess that had been created when the initial outburst happened. The repairs had gone smoothly, and almost clean at the time, with just the subtle hint of debris around to prove that the destruction had occured. It still amazed her how fast Esthar worked to repair and contain anything problematic on this big, floating easter egg shell of a school. 

"Hey Quistis!" Laguna' hollow, sweet voice chirped. "We're just about ready! You decide who's going with ya?" 

"The Kramer twins, Zell, Amie, and their two girls..." She cast her eyes around the room and nodded curtly. "Selphie and Irvine too.. And of course Seifer and I." 

"My dad and I are going to." Taelon murmered. "Angie is coming too, with me." 

"Taelon, no." Quistis said desperately. "We can't have you-" 

"Have me _what_, Miss Trepe?" He snarled curtly. "Have me go straight up to your son and rip his heart out while shoving his head up his ass? Or maybe, Hyne forbid, I sit back and smile, and say 'Hey, thanks for killing my mother, she was being a real drag for a while'? Have some faith in me, just a little. I might surprise." 

Quistis winced, and nodded, glancing towards the floor. "Alright. Everyone, gather 'round. We need to get the others who're gonna come with us ready, and let them know that we're about to go. Laguna, make contact with the Kramer twins, and have them grab anyone else going with us." 

"Gotcha!" Laguna chirped happily. He patted his false leg and grinned, stepping down from the shaffolds. "Ya know, even though I'm bum in one limb, I can still get with the best of 'em. I wanna stay with my son and grandson. They need me now." 

Quistis nodded pertly, pressing her lips in a tight line. "Okay. Who'll stay behind?" 

"Oh! Nida, Youngju, Xu, and the Dinchts. Their daughters are going with us though." Laguna rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "They're both great kids." 

"I know." She cast a longing gaze into the distance and breathed outwards, rushing her breath between her lips. "Can you gather those who will join us? Squall is in his office, he'll let you make the announcement." 

"Sure enough!" Laguna smiled. He walked steadily towards the hall, throwing a hand over his shoulder in a wave with a call of 'Yes General Trepe!' that echoed in the quad. Quistis suppressed a laugh. The sound of the old man greeting her with formal language was always a treat, and yet enough surprise that it caused her to blush. It was only a year or so ago when she finally broke the habit of calling him Mister President; He would always come back with General or Commander Trepe. It was a shameless display of attention on both parts, and always each title would cause a few giggles from one or another. 

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and gasped, not expecting the touch to be so calming. "I miss you Quistis." 

Quistis leaned her cheek on his hand, feeling the scarred knuckles press against her skin. "I'm sorry." 

"I knew I shouldn't have done what I did." He murmered, running his fingers across her cheek. "But I didn't see any other option for you-" 

"It's alright." She turned around to face him, gazing in his deep mournful eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "Truth to tell, I miss you too.." 

"But?" 

"It's just not the same." 

He pursed his lips tightly and nodded, pulling his hand away. "I know. I get it. It's too late-" 

"For everything." She breathed. "I'm so sorry Ordin." 

Ordin nodded and smiled grimly, lacing his fingers behind his back. "No apologies. I thought I could compete with a ghost, but a real live being..? Never. Seifer must mean everything to you. Or he used to." 

"He did." Quistis nodded, looking to the floor. "He's the father of my son. He was my everything. When he came back, he became that once again. I have to figure this whole thing out... Ordin, I'm so sorry." 

"You're so affirmative in your answers." Ordin smirked. "I always hated that about you." 

"I thought you adored me on the whole?" 

"Oh I do. But you have so many annoying habits." He began, in a mockingly serious tone. "You eat too fast, you chew with your mouth closed, you don't drink as much as a woman should, your five extra arms is somewhat disturbing..." 

"Oh hush yourself!" She swatted at him playfully, as he pretended to be lofted with fear. "That is not very funny at all" 

"Mmm Hmm.." Ordin cast a glance behind her, and his smile faded, causing his features to become emotionless. "Speaking of which.." 

Seifer sauntered up to the pair, his face holding a look of pleasant contempt. "Are we actually ready to take off, or do you two need to find a room?" 

Quistis' eyes slit into twin orbs of angry sapphire. "Seifer!" She hissed, clenching her fists at her sides. "How could-" 

"Hey, calm down." Ordin said through clenched teeth. "I'm staying behind to manage the controls. Everyone else beside Selphie and Irvine are going." 

"Shame. You'll be missing out on the action." Seifer chided playfully. "Are you positive?" 

"Yes." Ordin replied curtly. Casting another glance at Quistis, he bid a quiet farewell and began climbing the shaffolds, refusing any other glance in their direction. Seifer stifled a laugh, wrapping a heavy arm about her shoulders and pulled her close, staring anywhere except at her. Quistis felt suddenly a coldness, and shoved his arm off of her, giving him a cold hard stare. 

"Now what's your problem?" He asked, annoyance surfacing in his voice. "Why do you always get so defensive around him?" 

"He was there for me when I needed him!" Quistis barked back. "And you treat him like crap? How could you?" 

"Look. I'm sorry. Alright? I was just kidding with the man." 

"Kidding, nothing, just.. Just stop it Seifer!" Quistis whispered harshly. She turned her back to him and started her way out of the Quad, angrily stomping past anyone who was in her way. Seifer watched her go with a slight smirk on his face, forced upon his features by his own will as the eyes around the room started to decend upon him. Wincing slightly he cast another glance around the room before throwing his hand upwards and cursing the very existance that he stood for. 

~+~ 

"Why are you doing this?" Ian whimpered. Tears fell from his eyes like shining crystals, and his lips flubbered sadly. "How can you be this cruel?" 

"It has to be done!" Hanniele hissed, brandishing the knife. The silver blade winked in the light, the glare hitting his eyes every few seconds. "It is tradition!" 

"Tradition sucks! Do you know how long I've been trying to do this!? How hard it is?" He let out a shuddering howl as the knife slashed once more, the winking light glowing. "I feel like I'm getting castrated!" 

"If you do not hold still then that is what will happen!" Hanniele shouted at him,. She tossed the knife on the counter and picked up a small blue bottle, shaking it vigoriously in her hand while dotting her finger finger with the blue liquid inside. Gingerly she ran it through the tips of his sheared hair, which now fell to mid cheek level to his face. Infront of him was the five inch ponytail he usually kept, platinum hair encased in a ribbon which he knew that he would mourn heavily for. The dye which was staining the tips of his hair a bright azure smelled horrily sweet. Quistis would kill him, and Hanniele, for this. 

"I can't believe it. We're gonna punish a little boy, and then shove a Guardian Force into my body. Oh this is real sweet." He remarked sarcastically. "I can't believe you." 

"Do you want to be slain and skinned alive?" Hanniele mumbled. Ian's initial reaction was to freeze and stiffen, his missmatched eyes widening. "Good. Now silence and take it like a man." 

"Better than purple." 

"Only when the passing of Pandemona occurs." 

"Hyne.." Ian sank his head in his hands, and yelped when Hanniele yanked on his hair. "Hey..! Ugh. When's my mom coming?" 

"She and the others should be here soon." Hanniele pulled on the remains of Ian's hair, and cut a bit more from the tips after the dye was placed and set. "When they have returned, the portal opening will open in your room, and everyone will be dressed in their own formal gowns. I predict their arrival to be just in time for the cerimony." 

"Right. My mother gets to see me sentence a kid to imprisonment." Hanniele's hands froze at the words, and she gasped. Ian narowed his eyes and turned aound to look at her, a frown encasing his feaures. "Whats wrong?" 

"N-Nothing." SHe murmered, and continued to snip. "Nothing at all." 

"Whoa, wait a minute." He stood up infront of her and grasped her hand, taking the scissors from her fingers and placing them on the bar. "What's going on? I mention the kid and-" 

A loud banging in the other room, and a scurry of screams and shouts that rang across their ears. Hanniele stiffled a gasp and Ian pushed her behind him, inching steadily towards the door. The sounds of ruckus broke through, shouting of angry words until he finally heard at least one familiar voice through out the whole loud ordeal. 

"Hyne strike you down, Gabrian Kramer, get your hand of my ass!" "Why you inexcusable, son of a-" 

"Silence both of you!" A strict feminine voice barked. "Focus more on finding my son than groping eachother!" 

"Sorry Miss Trepe." 

"Yeah. Ditto." 

Ian's face brightened up momentarily, and he politely excused himself from Hannieles presense. Pushing the door open, he bounded into the room and was shocked by the appearance of his friends and family. The lot of them were tangled up in arms and legs, and flushes with the prospect of being in such close proximity of one another. His own mother's arms were gripped around Seifer's waist, while his legs were entangled around Squall's neck, cutting off any airflow as the younger man struggled, smacking and grabbing at Seifer's knees until he finally let go. Laguna himself was already up and brushing himself off, disengaging Seifer from Squall's murderous grasps and shouts of pain. Angie, and Taelon, and Contessa were laying aside one another, the only ones of the group who weren't amess with the others. Gabrian, Giselle, and Collete were in a tangles mass of clothing and hair, with Gabrian sprawled on top of Collete while Giselle was sprawled on top of him. It looked painful enough for Ian to wince, and he sprinted past Hanniele towards them, slapping Gabrians' hand away from her backside, and pulling Collete to her feet. 

"Yo, Cole! Long time no bitch out." He snickered, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. 

"What? Hey! Ian!" Collete shouted, causing the rest of the crowd to halt in their bickering. She threw her arms around his back and waist, hugging him close. "Thank Hyne you're alright! Thank Hyne- What the hell did you do to your hair?" 

Ian smirked and ran a hand through his blue tipped, now much shorter hair. "I know. I look like a moron. But Hanniele says it's tradition.." 

"Tradition? For what?" 

"I-" His words were cut off by the parade of a woman's arms wrapping around him, pulling at him, and holding him tightly against her. He smelled the familiar perfume, and sighed, leaning against her and resisting against the temptation to cry. "Mom?" 

"Damn it, Ian, don't ever do this again!" Quistis shrieked into his shoulder. She pressed against his back and neck, pulling at him tightly and not wanting to release. She reached upwards and cupped the bast of his head, feeling along the lines and intook a sharp breath, pulling away sharply. "What the hell have you done to your hair!?" 

"Mom it's.. nevermind." He smiled wanly, running his hands through his hair again. "Hey. Look, I'm starved, and everyone's here. We'll go get dinner, and I'll explain everything, okay?" 

Quistis nodded and turned to the others. Behind her, Hanniele raised her arms high and clapped, smiling weakly. "Everyone," She chanted. "I must take you to be ready for the cerimony tonight. We shall speak about your predicament later. All your answers will be focused upon then. Let's go!" 

"Fine.. Qusitis murmered. She stepped away and took hold of Seifer's arm and helped usher the others outward, pushing them out the door into the hall of confusion. She cast one last glance back at Ian and nodded, whispering "I'll see you soon" before she herself left. Hanniele nodded pertly and continued with her grooming, pulling out one last snippet of hair and letting it fall into place. 

"There." She smiled. "Done." 

"Hanniele? What exactly am I doing tonight?" Ian asked. "I wanna go see my mom before this cerimony." 

"Hush. You will see her in the dining hall." Hanniele whispered. "I know it seemed abit cold to rush them so fast, but the servants will care for them. They'll see fit that they are adorned with the correct attire to blend in." 

Ian nodded, and the rest of the meeting was silent. Hanniele continued with her orderly, making the right assumptions and workings, preparing the boy for the hard transaction that would occur soon. The one girl, Collete, or Cole as he called her, will be at his side soon afer. He would need as much comfort as possible. 

It is not every day, a young child becomes a man by taking a life. 

~+~ 

Click here for the story of the nations! This story is by Icewolf19, and I highly suggest it for Irvine fans :) Read! 

A/N: I'm so sorry this is late. I am. God dammit I AM! I'm moving, this are rushed now, but soon, everyhting is falling into place and I'll have the next chapter out MUCH sooner. Thank you for your continued support! 


	21. Cerimony

Cerimony  
************

The air smelled of roasted meat, hearty vegetables and wine, tempting the senses beyond all knowledge. They had all been dressed in assorted garments and gowns, clothing to make them fit in with the aborating crowds amonst them, and yet even thought it was the nicest clothing most of them had worn on a mission in years, it still seemed uncomfortable. The men were dressed in tight fitting, and tight tied shirts that held onto them like second skins, while the ladies were dressed in elaborate designs of dresses and canopies, sheer flowing skirts of pale silk in all colours, condescending one another, and over lapping. A select few were sleeved, such as Quistis' and Giselle's, with highnecks and bare arms. Collete Contessa and Angie all held strapless body hugging wear, with Angie slipping a sheer scarf around her shoulders for her modesty. 

Either way, it wasn't fit for fighting. 

Adorned all over an oval table with Ian and Collete sitting at the head as he requested, just for familiarity, they sat and wondered, sipping from goblets and getting tipsy by the moment. Wine was served by the gallon, and the upcoming 'cerimony' of the Passing of the Gods proved to be fit for celebration. Boredom filled the air as their supper was roasting, and they all brathed a sigh of relief when finally, the head cook came out and asured them the Feast of the Lords would be prepared in a few moments as she placed plates and silverwear infront of each one. 

For the brevity of the time, they began to aknowledge one another, speak, as the alcohol coursed through their veins and opened their mouths to eachother. 

"Wow.." He murmered, holding his hands infront of him. "Look at this Cole." 

"Hm?" Collete blinked, jumping from her stupor. "What is it?" 

"My hands, of course." Ian grinned haughtily. "Look at 'em. So nice, and pretty. And soft too. The nails are just perfect. No polish needed for those shiny things. Just like shined diamonds on fingertips.." 

"Ian?" She purred sweetly. 

"Yeah?" 

"Are you gay?" 

"No.." He purred back at her, wagging his eyebrows with his hands still straightened out before him. "But I'll take a hotdog right about now." 

He waited until her eyes widened momentarily then narrowed, and then a petite smile appeared at the corners of her mouth, as if suppressing laughter. Ian stood back and watched her, her eyes shut tight as the image fell before her. Even the most pessimistic of all men had to admit, she looked incredible tonight. The traditional gowning she had to wear consisted of transperant white and light red scarves, with a sleeveless, crimson bodice encasing her torso. That itselves was zipper'd and tied together with elegant twine, tied neatly at the top with the ribbon falling gently infront. 

What amazed him most was her hair. That was donned up in a plethora of curls, with a few lockes falling precariously around her features, framing her face. The tiny scar right above her temple seemed to crease with a line, and he always wondered how she aquired it. Anytime he asked her she went dull, changing the subject to something she knew he'd be interested in. Other than hat, her hair always covered it anyways, and only by command would it be put up in a strict pony tail. Either way, for fear of his life, he'd never admit he loved her hair. She just might hurt him. 

Instead he found his eyes drown downwards, to her choice of dressing. The strapless bodice pressed her chest in hard, compacting her breasts seemingly harshly, yet she didn't seem to mind. She was the type who would just breathe and go 'Finally out of the way!' about anything on her body. So he peered closer, wondering how she could keep such a shape guarded in like it was poison. When he peered closer, he was lost. The small indent of her collar bone, down to the valley inbetween showed. Suddenly he wonderde what it would be like to see her, vulnerable to him, free of anything binding her. Maybe even dancing with him, and then finally letting him hold her close, voicing his truest thoughts in her ear.. 

The very notion of what would happen afterwards made him gulp and wish for a whole well of water. He didn't stop looking, even as their plates were set down. 

"What're you looking at Ian?" Her hissing voice cut through his thoughts. Blinking, he gazed up into stormy azure eyes that were mixed with embarassment and rage, and sheepishly grinned. 

"Oops.. sorry Cole." He murmered, looking down in his lap. "I just never saw your boobs before." 

"What did you say!?" She barked angrily. 

"No! I didn't mean that!" Ian grinned, taking her flying wrist into his own hands. "I mean, I've never seen you dress like this, wearing make up, hair made up. I mean, wow. I know you're gonna hate me saying this, but you really look incredible, and I wish you did this more often." 

"Hmph." She grumbled. "Whatever." Yet silently she was pleased. 

"Whaaaaat?" He whined mockingly. "It's true. You're one of the most beautiful girls I know, and you're always in jeans and a jacket. And not even a nifty jacket, that old blue leather thing that's way too big for you. And when it's pleasantly warm? A sweatshirt. You're nuts, Collete Dincht. You've got everything anyone would beg for, and you hide it." 

Collete sighed and shook her head, lacing her arms over her chest. "That 'old leather thing' as you put it belonged to my father. He helped destroy Ultimecia in it. It gives me good luck." 

"Still doesn't explain why you hide yourself under baggy.. well, everything." He grinned at her then, taking a sip from his own goblet. "I wouldn't even believe you wore a bra if I didn't do your laundry every once in a while." 

"You're getting drunk." She hissed angrily. "And I'm hungry." 

"I am _not_ getting drunk." Ian hissed back at her, low enough for no one else to hear. He set his wine goblet down and leaned in close to her, the smell of liquar on his breath. "Aren't you used to someone other than your parents telling you you're pretty? Even a friend, even your best friend, me? Man, I shoulda said it before, but I jus' didn' got th' balls. Cuter than Angie, more classy than Contessa, and a whole helluva lot more gorgous than.. that other thing.. what was she, a rodent or somethin'?" 

Collete let out an exageratted sigh and smirked, pleased by his attention. "Her name is Giselle. And how can I be prettier than her? She's my twin, you jack ass." 

"She is?" He slurred mockingly, peering across the table to a giggling Giselle as she toyed with Taelon's shirt. "Nah, she ain't even human. She has a big ol' rodent face. I can tell." 

"And how can you tell?" 

"X-ray vision, my dear." 

"Oh?" She asked curtly. "And what do you see when you look at me?" 

"Boobs. Which is surprising, I thought you killed anyone who even thought about copping a feel." He giggled drunkenly then, a huge smile perching itself on his lips. "Which is more than what I'm thinking right now." 

"You're only alive because you're drunk!" She barked, slapping him hard across the face. Ian winced at the accusation, silencing himself from any more verbal noises towards her and stared down at the table, at the cooling dish infront of him. Collete suddenly felt a rush of fear and coldness, hestating before she spoke again. "Shit. Ian.. I'm sorry. Sorry I hit you." 

"No." He began seriously. "It's not that." 

"Then what is it?" 

"Nothing. Nevermind. Thats the last damned time I give you a fucking compliment." Ian turned away from her and looked towards Hanniele, barking "So when's this fucking cerimony gonna start? And what the hell is the meaning of it?" 

Hanniele gave him a wan look and nodded, sipping from her own goblet. "Tonight. After the feast. You shall become the successor with the Guardian Force, Shiva. She shall be thrust into your psyche, and you will know the power." 

"To make me, or this King, stronger." He grumbled. "Cute." 

"Why're you giving a kid so much damned power?" Seifer growled. He stabbed into his food dangerously, rubbin the meat along the plate. "Don't you know that power corrupts? Give it to some immature brat and-" 

"I'm not a Hyne forsaken immature brat!" Ian screamed. "I'm apparently king of this fucking country, and if you don't shut your mouth-" 

"I was _your_ damned age when I _killed_ half of _my_ country, Ian!" Seifer barked back at him, watching the boy cringe down into his seat. "Power corrpts. No matter how good you are, all that magic and power you'll have surging through your veins.. It'll kill you if you're not careful. It'll destroy you. Power, Ian, kills." He sneered violently, feeling Quistis' fingers grip into his knee. "Just watch yourself." 

"Give me proof I can't handle it!" Ian shrieked at him, throwing his chair back. "I wan't proof! I'm nothing like you. I'll never be anything like you. I don't kill innocent people like you d-" 

"Tell that to the corpse of your best friends' mother!" Seifer spat out hatredly. "You didn't know you killed Rinoa, did you? The whole mess you made out in Garden, you killed her in that blast! She was innocent, and you killed her! What do you have to say about that?" 

A silence fell upon the room, with only the hintest clatter of silver on plates, and icy tention fell on their shoulders. Squall coughed deep in his throat and sighed, thinking back to the clipped angel wings of his dead wife. They seemed to him have fallen into the ground, floating ever so gently into the soft dirt as they promised things would be alright, and they weren't. It wasn't the boy's fault, he figured, as he stared into miss matched iced over eyes, scared, as if caught in the headlights of fate. He didn't know what he was doing. The reminder of Rinoa caused his son to tense up next to him, and reach out to grasp his father's hand like a wayward soul. It scared him throroughly. 

Just as quickly as the silence came, it was broken by the footsteps of Hanniele, as she tapped her foot to the floor. Picking up a crystal glass, she wrapped against it with her fork, drawing the attention to her. "Everyone," She gleefully chided. "It is time for the celebration to begin. There will be food to eat and wine to drink in the coming of the Cerimony. Let us begin!" 

~+~ 

His shrill cries echoed the halls, cascading fearfully into the guards who bound him. Drakkar listened to the boy's screams until he could no longer bear it, opting to shut his ears away from the horrible painful sounds, and insisted on teling himself the boy wouldn't be in pain much longer. He would be set free to his true home, and no longer will the cries of sacrifice fall upon the guards' ears. 

Drakkar pulled his blade against his back, feeling the holder snugly beside his ribs. Looking up to his commander he nodded primly, winceing as the soft wails began again. "Must the boy really be awake right now?" He moaned. "His cries make my ears bleed." 

"Sedatives will cause the effect to lesson." The commander grunted. "Beside, we want to hear him shout for bloody roar. Pit the King on his toes." 

"Yes. His toes." Drakker nodded glumly. "I'll see to if I can silence the boy for a bit yonder." 

With a nod, the Commander wished him luck. Drakkar stepped towards the phantom wails and held in his breath, waiting for them to subside. He approached the cell and found the child, huddled in a corner and ignoring his food. Drakkar couldn't blame him. The meat was laced with maggots, spurting in and out of created holes, and flies and ants buzzed around the molten vegatables, brown from contact with the air and dirty hands. He hated how the prisoners were treated, but in the land run by King Tsunan, the hardships and the trials of the land were set of by exubriant passings. It was hard set belief that the Godly power of the Guardian Forces must be passed on on with out the resulting memory loss if the life force of one is shed upon the psyche afterwords. It was a sickening ritual of a cerimony, full of drunkards and wine, and he never saw to it any changes from the current king, to the former king. 

All of them were killers. 

"Hello child." Drakkar murmered into the dark room. The boy slid his back agaisnt the wall, his wide cyan eyes full of fear and hopelessness. "Is there something I can do to make your stay more comfortable?" 

"Let me out?" the boy whimpered with a hopeful gleam. "It's cold.." 

"Use the blanket." 

"Can't." 

Drakkar frowned. "Why not?" 

"It smells bad." The boy wrinkled his nose in disgust. 

"What's it smell like?" 

"Death." 

The smile fell from Drakkar's lips then and he sighed, suddenly feeling very fatigued. Pulling away from the boy, he ignored the continuous wails of the childs' voice, as it echoed the halls in shrill silent screams, like a dying angel of light praying for her clipped wings. 

~+~ 

The crowds chanted his name, the King's name. It was flustering for anyone else put infront of the stadium, yet not for him. It was as if he had been here before, being washed in their gazes of brawn and sacrifice, and yearning for more. Yearning for their approval, and praying to make it through the night. 

In the middle of the crowde held a metal and wooden coffin, small in size, with clasps along the length of where arms and legs would rest. The view reminded him of medieval torture, and he shivered for the poor soul to be incased in it's grasps. Around it the hooting calls of the crowd, drunken with copius amounts of wine and other assorted liquars, causign the air around him to stench with the breath of the drunk. It was nausiating, how they celebrated this passing, with the death of an innocent, charged with a mere crime in an incessant need for it to be as clear as possible. 

He raised his arms and allowed the sashes to be draped across his chest and waist, fitting firmly to his lithe figure. Of course he knew the cerimony now. The passing of the Guardian Forces was a painful transaction, and he was scared of it. Usually it was easy at the Garden: Just breathe in the essense of the entity you wished to control, and it was yours within a flash of light and a calm, soothing sensation as it burrowed it's way into your mind, accepting you. Yet this was different. The Force wouldn't be cooperative, thus far it had to be forced into your psyche to proclaim the power it surged with. Ian had read on this long ago, as to why a Guardian Force would cause you to lose some of your memory. It needed that space, yes, but it was also pennance, payment, for you to use it's power of your own free will. Tit for tat, as some would say. 

"Breathe in." Hanniele murmered, and he did so, feeling his waist encased in leather. "Thank you." 

"Cerimonial garbs." Ian grunted. "Very interesting." 

"It is-" 

"-Tradition. I know." He turned back to her and stared hard, watching her features contort. "What's your problem?" 

"Your mood has been foul since the supper. Is something wrong?" She asked mildly, lifting his arm again to twist a golden twine into his shirt. 

"Everything. I killed my friends mother. I insulted Cole. Everything is wrong." He growled. 

"You were not in control." Hanniele said, simply. "And you merely tried to be friendly to the cold girl." 

"Doesn't matter." Ian stepped off the small platform and opened the curtains, gazing outside. "Huge crowd." 

"It always is." 

"I know what you want me to do." He snapped at her harshly. "You want me to kill that boy." 

"It is-" 

"I'm sick of all your stinkin' 'It is tradition' bullshit. I'm warning you." He growled sinisterly, stepping towards her. He towered over her height with a hiss, and she stepped back, showing no fear. "I'm warning you. Now. I don't care. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to save that boy." 

"If you do, your mother will die." Hanniele hissed back to him. Ian blanched, his face paling more than usual as she continued. "The knife will be inchs away from her back, Ian. If you do not hold onto tradition, then it will be her blood soothing your pain. Is that what you want? Sacrifice the life of a little ragamuffin, or a woman who borne and raised you?" 

"My..My mom would say.." 

"Kill herself." Hanniele stated simply. "But that wouldn't be fair. Now go on, King Tsunan, I take pity on your pain, but you must hurry with your transaction or all will be lost." 

Ian grunted and nodded in defeat, lowering his head as he spread open the curtains. The blast of rection from the crowd left him frazzled, in a frenzy as he tried to absorb their love and adoration into his body. His name was chanted, on and off, yet it wasn't his own. It was the name of their savior, their king, that escaped from their lips and floated into the air into his ears, drumming on his eardrums like rifles. Adrenaline rushed through his body and the scene overtook him, the power, the extacy, the surging of his veins as pumped his blood; he could feel it. He could feel it all. The fuel powered him. Them, he was changing. They were changing him. And he didn't even know it. 

With raised arms they carried the shrill, shrieking boy on their arms, his mouth gagged and his arms bound. Tears streamed down his face in triangular lines, his wide light blue eyes fear filled and angry. He pierced Ian with his gaze, blaming him for this act as they laid him down upon the coffin, strapping his arms and legs into the cuffs. A priest beside the boy cahnted words into unhearing ears, as his eyes seared into the would be King, pitting all guilt to him, and him only. 

"This child's sacrifice will be the revival of us all!" The priest chanted loudly, his voice booming voer the crowds as they soaked in his words. "He committed a crime, and thus this crime, it shall be done!" 

Ian wince slightly, and cast his eyes to the back of the room. His friends, his family stood there, watching. Collete's eyes were filled with wonder and her sister's, Giselle, stood back in a daze, alongside a drunken Gabrian. Taelon and Angie were near the back, holding fingers tightly clasped. Crowds never appealed to them. Squall was no where in sight. Ian's parents, Seifer and Quistis held onto eachother like life rafts, drowing in a sea of obscurity. It made him sick, his mother with the sperm doner. In his mind thats all he was, biological father or not. No father of mine, he hissed into his mind, no father at all. How dare he hold her hand like that, like a husband and friend, companion forever in love. It was cryptic and disgusting, how he thought he could just ravage back in their lvies afer so long of an absense. No fishing trips or basebal games. Yet he still held her hand and she rejoiced it, loving the feel of his skin against hers. And he seemed to taunt him with it. 

"When is this guy gonna shuttup?" Ian growled. From the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Hanniele, descending the stairs and stepping towards his parents. A wink of metal in the light glimpsed in her hand, and he concentrated closer to see what it truely was. Another wink in the light as the chanting priest fell on his own deaf ears and he saw the large, thin sharp blade, extremely close to Quistis' back. Ian licked his lips and resisted the urge to wipe the sweat from his brow. Hanniele would make good on her promise. His mother or the child...? 

The priests' chants grew wanless against his ears. He had to think fast, while the ticking of a clock cracked louder than the cackling voice of the priest, his chants rousing the crowds louder than his ears could handle, yet no longer drowining out the muffled cries of the breaking heart of a child. 

~+~ 

Meanwhile Gabrian was busying himself with the liquars that ran like rivers through out the crowds. Taelon busied himself keeping Gabrian from killing himself as he babbled on, with Angie looking forlornly at them, with Giselle keeping vigil. She was annoyed with the prospect of babysitting, but there was no one else she could bribe to take her place. It wasn't until Angie gave her a cold stare and a curt nod of approval did she finally leave, happy to be free from her ex drunk boyfriend. Gabrian was gripping Taelon's collar while gingerly holding and caressing Angie's hand, giving her a longing look. 

"Did you know my sister likes you?" He drunkenly slurred. 

"Of course." Angie said. "We're friends." 

"Nahh no no!" He grinned sarcastically. "She _likes_ you. My sister, she's cool. She is. But she's a dyke. She wants you in her-" 

"Gabe, quiet!" Taelon shouted, ripping the older boy's hand from his collar. "It doesn't matter what your sister is, Contessa's one and the same to us." 

"Yeah, but she wants in Angie's pants!" He howled maniacally, shrieking laughter loudly. "An' it's all _my_ fault!" 

Angie flinched slightly, pressing her finger tips to her lips. She was about to speak, to yell at Gabrian until taelon held up a stiff hand, motioning for her to silence herself "Gabrian," he murmered, forcing as much charisma and charm in his voice humanly possible. "Please explain." 

"Y'see.. her an' me. We're twins." He began, his voice choking. "So we've got this connection. All twins do.. ya know? But se, our connection, it's screwed up. We're stronger cause of it. But we're alike in every way. I'm more.. uhh.." 

"Dominant?" Angie offered. Gabrian sneered and smiled. 

"Yeah. Dominant.. So, she's a dyke cause I ain't gay.." 

Taelon frowned, wondering if Gabrian had taken complete leave of his senses. "What does this mean?" 

"Didn' you fuggin' lithen t' me?!" He shouted, losing his composure suddenly, and bursing into tears. Steadily Angie took Taelon's offered handkerchief and pressed it to his cheek, wiping away the streaming crystal lines that Gabrian formed on his face. "Oh Hyne.. We're.. We're like one soul. One fucking soul and two bodies. We've.. We've got this weird rapport wid each udder.." He stuttered again, and fell to his knees and shut his eyes. 

Angie gasped, and pressed her hands to Gabrian's cheeks, feeling the damp warmness. Pursing her lipes together, she motioned for Taelon to keep hold of Gabrian and to keep him voicing his words as she ran to find something, anything, to take his slight fever down. Taelon nodded grimly, forcing Gabrian into an uprigth position against his knee and leaned the bigger boy's body against himself, grunting under the weight. Gabrian babbled on incessantly, spitting out plurals and nouns every few seconds until Angie returned with a small bucket of ice and a glass of water. 

She handed it to him and Gabrian dank it down fast, choking slightly. "Fire!" Angie hissed, melting the ice as Taelon pounded on his back. With a worried stance she pressed the cloth to his forehead, biting on her bottom lip when he finally opened his eyes and smiled. 

"Angie.." He gasped, breathing deeply. "I can't take it anymore. I can't stand this link with her. If w get too far apart, for a long time.. I'll go crazy. So'll she. My mom did this to us. She was a sorceress. Her powers, and her past, twins, twins born from Sorceresses.. They get this." 

Taelon opened his lips to speak but was halted by Angie's cool glare before she turned her attention back to Gabrian. "What do you mean?" She asked, leaning in closer. "Gabrian, tell me more." 

He laughed loudly then, as if being tickled. "S-Someone.." He gasped lightly, clenching his sides. "Someone is tickling Tessa.. Some drunk bastard is touching her.." 

"Gabrian?" Taelon murmered under his breath. "Speak up man, and hurry, that priest guy is about to shut up." 

"Alright.. Alright.." His eyes widened horrendously, and he awoke with a start, looking about. "We gotta break it. We just gotta fucking snap it!" 

"Gabe?" Angie murmered. She cast her pale eyes on him, watching him grow suddenly insecure. Pursing her lips together, she reached into her minds and hissed "Sleep!" before he could get any more irrational. His eyes rolled back in his head and Gabrian fell down again, snoring peacefully aganst Taelon's chest. 

"Why did you go and do that for?" Taelon barked under his breath. "He was finally opening up to us, telling us what was wrong." 

Angie shrugged, pulling herself to her feet as she reached down and gripped Gabrian under one arm, and motioned for Taelon to do the same. "We can ask him in the morning. If not him, then we can ask Contessa. Eitherway, I think I've figured out a few things on my own." 

Nodding silently, Taelon lifted most of Gabrian's heavy weight on his own shoulders, and grunted under the impact. "Let's just get him back to his room. We're here to watch over Ian. Not babysit Gabe." 

She whispered something under her breath, and he asked her to repeat it. "I said, how funny it is you've overcome your mother's death far enough not to kill Ian on sight." 

"Don't make any mistakes, little Angie." Taelon sneered, his voice as spiteful as Gabrian's was known to be. "The only reason I'm keeping Ian alive for now is so later on I can rip him a new one myself, depending on his answers to my mother's death. He didn't know he did it. I understand it." Gingerly he yanked the sleeping Kramer more steadily onto his soulder, allowing Angie to take a bit more weight to her body. "But a fair warning. If I don't like his answers, or if he even thinks about lying, and this is all some sick game of an act, then by all I hold holy." He breathed, the pause unsettling. "I'll fucking kill him." 

~+~ 

The priest climbed atop the coffin of the squirming boy, holding high above him a slanted, evil looking blue shard of glass for all the crowds to gawk upon. "This.." He murmered, fingering gently, pressing it into th boy's face as he screamed. "This holds the key to the power over the coldest, most frigid spectable above all, ice! With the blood of this child, the Goddess will be warmed, and then graciously she will accept all that is offered to her: A home, a vanity, inside the greatest man of our kingdom, King Tsunan!" 

The crowd roared again as Seifer watched, glaring with a hint of death in his eyes. "So what're they gonna do?" He asked curtly. "Cut the boy?" 

"No." Hanniele answered back. "His sacrifice will be for all of us. For our king to overcome the possesion of ice." 

"Sacrifice?!" Quistis blanched momentarily, all color fading from her face. "Seifer! He's going to kill that boy!" 

"What?!" Seifer shouted, facing the chanting priest. Feeling for his side for Hyperion, he cursed when he found his waist bare. "Damn it, we have to stop him!" 

"I do not think so." Came Hanniele's strangled whisper. Seifer turned around to see her, gripping Quistis by the throat. She was sound asleep, her lips slightly apart with the blade of a sacrificial dagger at her throat. "Attempt to save her, and your son dies. Do nothing and they both live. This must be done!" 

"This is petricide.." He growled, feeling helpless and oscure. "Indecievable, sickening.." 

"It's tradition." She pleaded with him. "Tradition. If we stop the cerimony now, the public will know something is wrong. Please, Seifer, if I must.. I will kill your wife if you dare interfere." 

"Ian.." 

"Must recieve the passing of Shiva." Hanniele gave him a thoughtful glance and tightened her hold on Quistis. "Please, it is tradition.." 

The hooting shouts of the priest were heard once more, as he screamed for the arena to shout and conquar. "We of the people command the power to indelve itself in our king!" 

Ian began to shake slightly, feeling an eerie coldness in the room. He knew what was going to happen next. He wondered, if maybe, he could.. 

It wasn't until out of the crner of his eye he saw her, with the dagger to another's throat. Quistis. 

"We will all praise in the power of this child's blood, to bring to life a Goddess!" 

Another roar of approval, and the boy whimpered, fresh, salty tears streaming down his cheeks. They pudled in his ear, and once again his piercing gaze held onto Ian, and the guilt, the terror filled his soul. 

_"Praise the child for his abundance and his stupidity!_" The priest began, shrieking into obscurity, lost in his own insanity. He raised the sharpened glass above the boy's body, as he shook his head from side to side, never letting his eyes rest away from Ian. "_LET THE LIGHT WASH OVER YOU CHILD!_" 

"_NO!!_" Ian's shrill cry fell on deaf ears as the sharpened glass crashed into the young boy's chest, staining the coffin red with life fluid from the wound. The battering sound of a steak being driven through a pure heart rang across the arena, silencing all who attended. Antoehr shrill cry of agony and the boy's movements ceased, aside from a few spiratical spurts from his limbs, his body shutting down it's life cycle. The blood that poured from his wound fell down into tiny troughs, and fell into crystal goblets, which were immediately brought up and centered around the boy's corpse. The eyes that held Ian's so closely held themselves open as his life essence passed through his body, the last shuddering welps from his throat, muffled by the ribbon gag, all the while locking eyes, never turning his face away once. Ian found he couldn't do the same either. 

The last sound in the arena he could ever claim to remember was the breaking of delicate glass, long after the breathing of the child had ceased. It was later recalled of the actual events that had happened, reaccuring in a nightmare that haunted him for hours on end. 

A shard of the glass fell, and out from it crawled an eerie mist, cascading around the boy's corpse, feeling the grey skin between it's fingers, then inching towards the goblets. The mist began to take shape, then, into a sultry composition of a woman, forming curves with each sip of blood it drank. The fingers were the last to form, claws extracting from each tip like ice, tmpting and tasting each crimson drop until finally, at the last goblet, it took it into it's mouth and drank heartily, with crimson droplets falling about her cheeks and chin in tributaries of blood. 

With one last sip, it finally formed into the ice goddess of Shiva, her cool blue skin emitting icy mist form her pores. 

Yet she was not the Shiva they had all grown accustomed too. 

She was a demon, with icicle horns and a silver, leather like dress encasing her skin in fluid ice and frozen water, still running. Her eyes no longer held the soft cool gaze of the Shiva of their time, instead, the coldness, the harshness of evil danced in her azure pupils, casting a hinting gaze towards him. Seducitly she crawled, once more, when the proud Shiva of their time stood tall and graceful. This monster, this unevolved monster of pain slit her lips apart in a grimacing smile, causing and instilling fear hard enough, freezing the marrow in his bones to a density where he could not move of his own free will, but to her own. 

He didn't feel her icy fingers caress his cheek. He only saw her cold, hard stare into his own eyes. One lithe finger trailed on the line of blood on her chin and stroke it simply, collecting a copius amount on her finger. She then lined his face, mimicking sienna swirls, across his cheeks and his forhead, dotting each eyelid before pressing his lips open and forcing him to taste the rich, coppery taste of the liquid, crimson, of life. 

Her lips pressed hard against his, blocking any air from entering his body. Ian struggled, attempting to push her away until her ice like dagger fingers pressing into his sides, hard, causing him to emit a scream. It was then she took her cue, delving deep iside him, searching his mind for his soul to encase in her power. When she finally found what she was looking for, she laughed, absorbing into him, instilling him her power and richs, all for the one low price of the life, of a child. 

Ian let out one low gutteral scream of agony, feeling the newfound ice encase his system before it became too much and he blacked out, into blessed darkness for only a few minutes of bliss. 

When he awoke too the chanting and singing of rejoice stung his ears, his eyes shutting against the backlash of light. He felt something warm and moist on his chest, crumbling and congealing. His eyes opened and he nearly shrieked, shocked at what actions they had partaken in while he was mentally nursing himself. 

The corpse was dismembered and they were showering in gruesome deail, chanting and dancing over the remains. The blood that had dried partially into a jelly they rubbed all over their bodies like lotion, lavishing in the feel of the cold half fluid agaisnt their skins. H sought through the crowd for his friends, family, a familiar face and found them, huddled away wih disgusted looks and nausea that he felt as well. 

"Mom!" He screamed, pushing past the half nude dancing women to them. One of them grabbed at his arm and yanked painfully, refusing to allow him to escape. The woman slathered a handful of congealed blood into his chest, the stench of copper and rust stinging his eyes. Leting out a belting roar he threw her to the ground, pushing himself away from them, away from the ruckus that erupted. He heard Collete scream after him, but he ignored her calls, finding his way to the front gate and barreling through it as if the devil himself was after his heels. 

"Shit." Collete growled. She hissed for everyone else to stay put before she took off after his retreading form, only catching up to him when he took a sharp left into a shallow river, throwing himself against the waters. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She screamed above the crashing of the waves he created. 

"Get the fuck outta here!" Ian screamed, yanking his blood drenched shirt off and throwing it against the rocks. "I don't need you! I don't fucking need you!" 

"You're acting like a madman! Stop it Ian, stop it!" She gingerly stepped into the water at knee wondering momentarily how he could stand the cold. Leaning down she picked up his crimson drenched shirt and shuddered, throwing it over her shoulder. "Look, we'll go back. We'll talk this over. We'll-" 

"Urg.." Ian fell to his knees with a splash, clutching at his sides. "T-Talk about what?" He hissed, coughing out an icy mist. "How I fuckin' stood back, let them mentally rape me and kill a kid? All for t-tradition?" 

"You're hurt, you idiot." Collete growled. She stepped forward to him kneeling down in the watter and pressed her hands against his ribs. "I dunno what's going on. Hanniele would be the only one who knows." 

"Like fuck I'm asking that bitch." He stood up and pushed her hands away, walking only a few steps before he fell again, to his knees in pain. Collete blew her hair out of her face and cursed, kneeling next to him and pulled him up into a stumbly standing position. Ian hacked another mist of ice, less noticeable than the first and murmered low "I'm tired." 

"No shit, with how you ran. And you've got PMS, with your damned moodswings.." Collete murmered sadly. She presured him through the bank of the river, back onto the road. "Look, Ian, I'm sorry." 

Ian shrugged her arms off his shoulders and waist, instead opting to limp on his own. "Yeah? What for?" 

"For whatever I did at the dinner, or Feawst, or whatever the hell it's called." She grunted, coughing and folding her arms over her waist. "Whatever it was." 

Ian gave her a cold hard stare, the only type he could manage, over his shoulder. "Yeah. Me too." 

Collete watched him as he walked, stupidly falling to his feet a few times and neglecting her help until finally he hit something hard going down, feeling it pierce into his knee. Rolling into an indian style sitting position, he watched as blood poured from his knee and resisted the urge to throw up, having seen enough of the crimson red liquid for that day. Collete walked up behind him, standing vigil for a few moments of watchng until, with ut a sound, she kneeled beside him and whispered "Cure" in her deep voice. The laceration healed almost instantly, and the marrow in his bones thawed enough for him to get a steady grip on himself. 

"Thanks.." He murmered, looking away. 

"Thats what friends ar for." She chirped, holding out a smooth palm. "Still friends, Jackass?" 

Ian gave her a longing stare, not even the hntest of a smile on his features. "Always, Cole. Always. Should know t-that by n-now." 

SHe pursed her lips together and nodded. In silence they both walked the path to the temperary place they called home. 

Hanniele watched them go, a feeling of awe satiating her mind. The passing had gone somewhat smoothly, with only his initial outurst the only problem that had occured. The whore he hurt didn't matter. She could be easily paid off to silence about the event. 

She slid the dagger back into her pouch and grimaced. The tail of fate stopped at this road, with the passing of Shiva being completed. The boy had survived, yet he still remained stuck. 

Breathing in a sigh she turned on her heel and began to close down the festivities. The unanswered questions would have to wait until she herself knew the answers, and how to put them to her own use. 

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~ 

Surprised you. I updated faster than usual. Now. REVIEW DAMN IT.   
Also, in your review if you please :D, which character in this story do you like most, and why? Just to satisfy my curiosity ;) And also, I love feedback. Feedback. Good. understood? Feedback makes the author want to write more, and write better (DAMN IT). Beside. I'm not getting paid for this. I need something :( If you don't review you're basically stealing, so don't be a dirty thief! Review!   
Okay enough begging. Answer my question :D 


	22. Return

Return  
********

His sleep was itnerrupted by dancing demons, taunting him, carresing his features with forked tongues and sharp finger tips, drawing lines of blood down his delicate features. He tried to scream, but no sound came forth from his throat, with his lungs filling with the blood of the innocent, grasping his throat with angry scratches, drowning out his vision through a hazy crimson film. Green eyes from the darkness gazed at him like a scared cat, accusingly yet fearful of any action he would take. Hordes of eyes, multiplying, all throwing guilt into his soul escalated until one final breath lurched from his throat and his screams echoed across the non existant halls. 

Then soft hands, gentle hands touched him, and a whispering voice hushed his screams with warmth. 

"Wake up!" Collete hissed, wincing as the sound of her voice cursed through her lips like acid. "Ian, wake up!" 

"Eh? Urk.. G-Get away, girl." He growled, throwing his arm infront of him. "It was just a bad dream." 

Collete stared at him dumbly for a moment before clicking her tongue in disgust. "A bad dream, huh. Sure. Do you usually dream with your eyes wide open, and sweat dripping from your forehead?" 

"Of course. If I did it like everyone else I wouldn't be unique." Reaching for the robe next to him, Ian slipped his arms through the sleeves and wrapped it around his body tightly, ignoring Collete's pestering gaze. "Sorry. Snapping isn't my usual answer to everything." 

Collete nodded and turned away as he dressed. Something from the movies, she wondered out of no where. The movies she saw before, always depicted it something else. The painful aching, the feelings of fatigue and the stench of sweat that was neither pleasant or romantic, no one happened to mention that. Somehow, she felt used, but the feeling soon stopped when she realized that it was she who used him. 

Her feelings seemed to escalate around the room, and it caught his attention noticably. "What's wrong?" 

"What?" She asked, her voice low. "Oh. Nothing." 

"Don't say nothing." Ian remarked calmly. Zipping his pants up he stepped towards her and laid down on the bed, watching her face. "I should warn you. I'm empathic. You can't hide your feelings from me." 

Collete winced slightly, pulling the covers to her chest. "And how did you become empathic?" 

"Mom taught me Blue Magic. Except I use Chi. Some sort of body thing. Happens, it does. Empathy is one of my gifts. Knowing the weak spot of an enemy." He smirked then, tilting his head. "You changed the subject. What's wrong?" 

"Ian, don't take this the wrong way." Collete gulped, looking away. "I just, you know. Didn't think it'd be like this." 

"I won't forget about you, Cole. I'm not gonna take this in stride, a one night stand, whatever." He lifted a hand to her cheek and brought her eyes to his, gazing into them serenly. She turned away sharply, gripping herself and throwing the sheets over her head. Ian rolled his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Now what's your problem?" 

"Shouldn't we be somewhere soon?" Came her muffled reply from under the covers. 

"Like where?" 

"Anywhere but here." She murmered, her voice cracking. "I really don't want to be here." 

"In my room?" He asked, slightly disturbed. Leaning down next to her, he gently pulled the covers from her head, and winced when he saw her contorted features. Fear and sadness gripped her in it's tight grasp, and immediately his heart went out to her. "Hey. We're all gonna have a first time some time. I'm sorry it hurt, I am. Just tell me what I can do, okay? I'll make it better." 

"Look." Collete whispered, pulling herself into a fetal position, and reaching for his hands. "Just hold me for a bit okay? I'm tire of being strong. I'm tired of being me. Just let me forget for a bit, okay?" 

"Alright." Ian said simply, not believing his own calm feelings. Of course this had happened before. Once, a long time ago, but that was his own first time into adulthood, as it was put. It was expected of him. He was a weakling, a scared shit in every way, and he too wanted to be left alone in the real world and held in his own mind to ascend the reality of maturity. In the end it wasn't a big deal, but it was still a major breakthrough in life. Living went on, and you were unchanged. 

Maybe. 

Yet the way she shook against him, like a leaf in a November storm, was unnerving, scarey. 

It was like she had nothing else to live for at all. 

~+~ 

The blade was still sharp, still tainted with blood and wrath as it lunged from his body, a full extention of himself to tear apart an unwanted Behemoth. It fell to the ground, snarling up at him with crimson eyes of hared and disgust before it let out a longing howl, and descended into it's death, the ground swallowing it's remains and leaving behind two shining crystals in it's wake. Seifer plucked the shining shards in his palm and spat a curse as a sharpened end punctured his skin. It bled a silent crimson line down his palm, staining the light earth dark with his blood before he stood up and gazed at it, secretly liking the pain. It reminded him that he was in fact, able to feel. 

Deserted ruins, he found on his walk. The proved to have cast amounts of enemies to kill, items to scour up. He let his emerald gaze watch them eerily, hunting it's next prey until the stinging of his bloody palm caught his attention and he scowled. Pain wasn't an enemy to him. Nor was it a friend. 

"You should wash that out." 

Her voice, always her voice, ringing in his ears. Bringing his attention to the woman behind him, he gave her a thin smile before letting his eyes gaze back to his hand. "You. Quistis Trepe. Or is it Quistis Almasy? Quistis Trepe-Almasy?" 

She narrowed her sapphire pools and scowled, her lovely face contorting. "That's a low blow, Seifer." 

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Still didn't give you the right to hide the kid from me." 

"You don't know why I did what I did." Quistis murmered, lacing her arms infront of her body to shield herself from some unknown source of power that he held. "I thought you were dead. No one told me they were excavating the ship. I may be high rank in Esthar, but that's it. Esthar, no where else." 

"He hates me." 

"What?" 

"Ian, the kid Hyne forsaken hates me." Seifer bit back bitterly to her. "He hates me. He hates the very existance I live for. Hell, he hates the space I take up, the air I breathe, the very mention of me and he rushes away to go throw up. Hates me form the second he saw me to beyond." He sighed a bit and looked to the ground, tracing circles in the dirt. "And it's all my fault." 

Stepping timidly closer, Quistis reached out to him, stroking a stray lock from his rigid face. He brought his emerald gaze to her own sapphire blue ones and flinched, remembering the power they held over him. "It's not your fault." Her soft voice murmered. "Never your fault Seifer. Ian's different. He's always been, and I'm not saying that just because he's my son." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean.." Her voice drifted off, and she looked away. "Well look at him. He doesn't look normal. His hair's damned near white, he's almost albino pale. Some say he could be Fujin's boy." 

"You and Fuu have something while I was gone?" 

_"No"_

"Hmph. You lost your sense of humor." Seifer looked away from her and pulled in his breath. "Don't tell me you don't love him because of that." 

"Nothing could ever make me not love my son, Seifer." She murmered low. "Ian's just different. Eccentric. Well not that far. He's just his own case." 

"Is that bad?" Seifer asked, a bit disturbed at the words that swept from her lips. The boy was her pride and joy, the apple of her eye and could do no wrong. Hearing her speak the way she was about the best thing between the both of them was frightening. Kneeling down, he pulled Hyperion to full hilt, and began pressing stones into its frame. "He's his own man." 

"Seifer you don't understand." Quistis knelt beside him and pressed a hand to his shoulder, tilting her face see his eyes more fluidly. "His only friend through out his childhood was Saigon, Kiros' son. I wouldn't have minded, and I didn't, except Ian seemed complacent with the arrangement. He didn't seek out new friends, he wasn't Mister Popularty, and he liked ti that way. He had two girlfriends, and a few aquitances that came and left whenever he brought them back home to do a school project, but that's it." 

"So the kid's alone." Seifer grunted. "Look how many friends I had when I was his age." 

"You had more." 

"So what?" 

"You also had a following of SeeDs who wanted to become the perfect rebel." She shoot her head slowly. "Ian doesn't have that. He was sick as a child, was always afraid to go near anything with water." 

Seifer frowned then, bringing his brow to a furrowing glare. "Water? Is that why he can't swim?" 

"How did you know he can't-" 

"Irvine told me. Said the boy had to practically be carried to land by Gabrian when their ship was attacked." Dusting off his jacket he pulled himself to his feet wearily, staring off into the distance. "You do know why you're telling me this, right?" 

"Hm?" Quistis raised a peculiar eyebrow. "Of coruse. You're Ian's father, and you need to know." 

"No." Seifer cast his emerald gaze on her and smirked his trademark cocky grin. "You don't remember, do you? The problems with what happened when you and Raquel were merged, then torn apart?" 

"Of course I remember." Quistis snapped. "How could I ever forget?" 

"You seem to have forgotten how your blue magic wizard like powers were affected too. Here, hold my hand. Take a walk with me. We'll talk." He stepped forward and extended his hand, watching her face. Her cheeks flushed and she cringed, hesitantly placing her hand in his. Sadistically he twisted her arm upwards, and brought her closer to him, her soft body ramming hard against his as she yelped in pain. Catching her glare with his own, Seifer softened his hold on her just enough to still keep her to him. "You knew I was gonna do that. Thats why you hesitated. ESP. You never had ESP before. Raquel got the looks and some of your youth, but you got some of her power." 

Cursing, Quistis pushed against him hard and flung herself away. "How the hell did you find all this out?" She spat angrily. 

"You never once thought there'd be problems with what happened?" Seifer spat at her bitterly. "You started to drink when once you hated the stuff with a passion. I watched you after our first baby died, begged you to let me inside of you and you did in the most unorthodox way I'd ever seen. I just wanted you to talk to me, but what you did was let me inside your mind. Everything, Quistis, everything I know and felt was from you." 

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" 

"You didn't ask." 

"Thats _not_ a valid answer!" 

"Why do you think you told me all about Ian, with out me asking? All you had to do was put on a smile, convince me otherwise and let me go off on my merry way." He pressed his lips into a hard line before continuing on. "You told me all about Ian because I was feeling the need to know him better. You spilled because of that. Your ESP is heightened, probably over time, or something. But it's there. Face it Quistis. You haven't exactly been keeping up to par with your talents. You're no longer the perfect Instructor. You're a mother, and even though you thought I was dead, you're a wife. But you've got to figure out exactly what happened to you, stop fighting it and let it happen." 

"You're too weird, even for me, Seifer." Quistis shook her head and stepped away from him, walking towards the path to lead them away from the deserted ruins. "Being underwater killed most of your brain cells." 

"Hiding from it will make you crazy, Quistis!" He barked after her, his booming voice commanding her to stop. When her swift walk only hesitantly paced, he shouted at her again and again until she finally turned to him. "_Quistis!_" 

"_What!?_ She screeched at him, her voice high and shrill. Her arms slipped into steel lines at her sides, her fists clenched into tight balls of fury that he fear she'd slam on his own head. "What is it _now_, Seifer?" 

"You.." He murmered, walking towards her. "You need to know what the hell you're doing. Sure. Over twenty years you've worked your ass off to finally keep your stuff at bay, never use it. You'll burn yourself out that way." 

"I don't need to use it." Quistis hissed through gritted teeth. Her palms burned and her mind iced over, blocking out any sense he was trying to force her to feel. "I'm perfectly able to-" 

"Quistis your hands!" 

"Wha-?" She brought her gaze downwards and screamed. Glowing embers of fire burst from her finger tips, a mass amount of flame circulating her hands and forearms, burning the skin. The smell of burnt flesh stung their nostrils and she cursed, flinging her arms to try and extinquish the flames but to no avail. Seifer finched when one of her engulfed hands flung upwards towards his face, and he jumped backwards, hissing as small sparks connected with his skin. Her scream brought his attention back to her, and he sputtered out commands like a mechanical commander. 

"The sky!" He screamed, shielding his eyes. "Quistis, shoot into the sky!" 

With a sputtering sob, Quistis extended her arms upwards and released the blasts, letting them descend upwards to explode in a super nova of fire and brimstone. He slipped his coat off in record time, grabbing her as they both slid under it while the skies rained blackened coal that melted once it hit the ground into oil, and then nothing. 

Throwing his smoldering coat to the ground, he stomped on it, casting her a cold gaze. "I knew it. You don't have any control." 

"I can control myself fine." Quistis barked at him, folding her arms around her check. She hissed in pain when the singed skin came into contact with her clothing, pulling them away to stare. "Argh.. Curaga." 

"This's happened before." Seifer remarked casually. "Hasn't it." 

The statement made her burn red. "A few times. But only when I get really angry." 

"You need help, Quistis." He said after a slight pause. "You can't go around acting like an atom bomb. Holding it all in will just make it worse until you can control it." 

"Why tell me this almost twenty years later?" Her voice, tired and weary, echoed. "You could have easily told me this when we got married." 

"I didn't know it then. I had to think about it for a while." He stepped up to her and smiled thinly, shaking his head. "You should have known before me anyway." 

"Ian has the same thing then." 

"What?" 

"Seifer, I never have to tell him when I'm upset." Quistis murmered more to herself than to him. "He always just knows. He knows when I'm excited, happy, I've never even been able to surprise him for his birthday. He has to have something like this too then." 

"So, it's genetic?" 

"Possibly." 

"Could be." Seifer spoke in wonder. "Seen those Dincht girls? Collete's a powerhouse and Giselle's a subtle flower, just like her mom, but both can dish it out. Taelon loves his dog, and have you ever seen him and that mutt work together? Magic, with him tearing ino them with his Sharp Shot like his mom, and that dog taking them down." 

"What about the Kramer twins?" Quistis chided in. "What about them? Cid has nothing that I know of, and Matron-" 

"Why are we talking about this?" Seifer interrupted her. 

She gave him a thoughtful stare before answering, "Because this might be more important than me and our son." 

"Could it have something to do with Time Compression?" 

"Maybe.. You were sent too, weren't you? Fujin, and Raijin as well?" 

"Look." Seifer growled, stepping towards her. "We can talk about that later, when we get back. For now though, I want you to continue." 

"Continue what?" Quistis asked. Seifer stepped in beside her and pressed his arm around her waist, holding her close. 

"I want to know about our son, Quistis. Everything." He murmered. "I need to know what he's like, what he does. You've said some, but I've missed out on a hell of a lot more. I want to know every important, intimate detail of his life, like a father should." 

Sighing deeply, she laid her cheek on his chest and relaxed. "I can do that." 

"I missed you, Instructor." He murmered quietly. 

"You were always my favorite student." 

"I know." 

"Look," Quistis murmered, pulling away. "Let's go back, and talk to Ian together. I'd much rather have him discuss his life with you. I don't want to reveal anything he doesn't want you to know." 

"Yeah." Seifer nodded. "Good idea. One question." 

"Yes?" 

"Can we go now?" 

The hint of desperation in his voice was noticable. She pulled away from him and gazed into his anxious emerald gaze and nodded. "If Ian's asleep, I'll wake him up. I usually have to anyway." 

"He and the Dincht girl, Collete?" Seifer asked, and nodded when Quistis confirmed her name. "They went back there together, didn't they?" 

"Yes. She went after him." 

"Hyne.." Seifer blurted, slapping his forehead with his palm. "I forgot about it. Last night, Ian, Hanniele, she-" 

"Oh damn." Quistis' eyes widened and she frowned, gazing away from him and slipping her arms around her waist. "I meant to go talk to him this morning, but when I knocked on the door there wasn't an answer. Do you think he made it back to his room?" 

"I followed them. They both did, sat up talking all night. Or at least until my concious got the best of me and I left." He shook his head and kept walking, pulling Quistis with him. "Whatever's going through his head right now, I dearly hope he's going to be in his right mind enough not to kill me on sight." 

~+~ 

For the first time since his mother's death, Taelon cried. 

It was Gabrian, fresh from his hangover, who had walked in on him, sobbing his heart out against the back steps in the quarry. Never once did he think he would find the cold yet gentle Taelon Leonhart showing any other emotion aside from amusement and a hint of happiness. Sarcasm, with a bit of joy. He was a complex kid, nothing could ever change that. Yet now, he was coming apart at the seams and there was nothing anyone could do to tye the threads. 

So he just watched. 

It wasn't for a long while that Squall had walked to his son, carrying a tray of simple foods and water, and calmly setting it down next to him. Taelon glanced up from his rested position and gave his father a watery gaze, shuddering out another sob before wiping his eyes clean with his sleeve. 

"Dad.. damn. Sorry." He grumbled, looking away. "I didn't mean to-" 

"It's okay, Taelon." Squall sat next to his son, taking a glass of water from the tray and pressing it to Taelon's lips. "Come on. You have to drink something if you won't eat." 

"I'm not hungry, I'm not thirsty, I'm nothing." The younger man groveled, stiffling a sob that came to his throat. "I just wanna go home." 

"We can't, Taelon, please understand." Squall wrapped his arms around the shuddering youth, pressing his cheek into his hair. "Taelon, I'm so sorry, but don't blame Ian. it's not his fault. Rinoa didn't want to take any medicine, refused transplants. Ian didn't know what he was doing.." 

"Dad, I care about that, I really do." Taelon murmered, sniffling hard. "I just wanna go home and settle this. I hate it here. It's not my territory, it's theirs. I hate it here, and so does Angie, Giselle, well, everyone." 

"We can't go back, not now." Squall pulled Taelon into a tighter embrace, and pressured the boy to hold him back. "We'll get things sorted, son. I promise, okay?" 

Taelon pulled away sharply, his eyes bereft of feeling. "I know. We'll get it sorted. We always do. We survive. I'm just tired of it Dad. Tired of Gabrian being the bastard he is, of Ian's tirades, of Giselle being, well, Giselle. Why is it that the only normal people around here are Angie and Collete?" 

"Because they are." 

"Why?" 

"Because Ian's Seifer's son. What else do you expect?" 

Taelon cracked a small smile. "Doesn't explain Giselle or Gabrian." 

Squall looked thoughtful for a moment. "Judging by the fact that Giselle is Zell's daughter, she secretly has an eating disorder over hotdogs, and Gabrian secretly has a fetish for hot dog breath?" 

"Dad, you are the weirdest person I know." 

He gave Taelon a hard stare, amusement dancing slightly in his eyes. "Weirdest? Have you even fathomed meeting my father? How can you say I'm weird when your grandfather is, well.." 

"Grampa?" 

"Yeah." 

"Now I know where your weirdness comes form." Taelon replied with a grin. Squall narrowed his eyes and shook his head, smiling when a deep chuckle escaped Taelon's lips and the younger man wrapped his arms around Squall's neck, pulling him close enough to his his face in his shoulder, and shed the tears he usually refused to allow. Squall tightened his embrace around his son, and quietly they mourned together over the loss of an angel with clipped wings. 

Silently, watching eyes seethed over the father, his father, who never once held his arms around his crying body, to soothe away demons unknown. 

~+~ 

It was quiet, and she didn't like it. So instead, she watched him. She knew that once the girl was asleep he'd walk away from her and venture here, to fight or watch, whatnot. It was nervewracking, watching him, just simply standing there while looking across the thundering plains into the distance. One wouldn't deem him a king, but a norse God, someone to fear who has nothing to cause wrath in no one at all. 

Hanniele eye'd him silently, watching, waiting for him to leave so she could as well, until he called out to her, shocking her from her reverie. 

"I can see you, Hanniele." Ian said to no one in particular. "Get out of your hiding place." 

"You can see me just as well as King Tsunan." She whispered as she shook herself from the shrubbery. "Is there something you need of me?" 

"No." Ian bit back bitterly. "I know what you'll say even if I ask." 

"That is?" 

"When do I go home?" 

Hanniele let out a breath, shaking her head slowly. "It is tradition that you be infused with-" 

"Cut the fucking tradition bullshit." Ian cut in sharply. Turning to her he eye'd her closely, he took steps towards her while she stepped back, her fingers fluttering to her neck. "Something is wrong. These people didn't know what to do. They just partied on like there was no tomorrow. A big orgy, thats what it was. No tradition. That priest, he was dressed differently than the others. He wasn't part of the group. This was new. This was something else, not tradition like you keep saying." 

Hanniele narrowed her eyes viciously, grimacing angrily. "So now you know." She spat. "What made you come to terms with it?" 

"The fact that although we did study this in school, it wasn't mentioned." Ian shot back angrily. "At _all_!" 

Hanniele stared at him coldly,flinching as a small vein in his forehead glowed blue. "I owe you no explanation!" She hissed. "The truth is, my husband died during the infusion! The fact you survived is.. is.." 

"A fucking miracle?" 

"Precisely." 

"That's it." Ian snapped, throwing a hand aside to push Hanniele out of his way. "We're going back. I don't care what's going on. I don't care how this happened, how I have to be the one to fix it, I don't care. I want to go home. I have a life outside of this, this monstrocity of a place you call home, Hanniele." 

"Yes I know that." She began calmly. "Do you really wish to go home?" 

"That's what I've been telling you I want!" Ian snapped at her, watching her take a timid step away. "My family, my friends, we've wanted to go back since the moment we stepped here." 

"Fine. Tomorrow." Hanniele gave him a curt nod and stepped away, turning her back to him she began to descend the heavy stairs, away from him and his prying eyes until his firm grasp reached her wrist and she stood still, startled by his silent pounce. "What is it?" 

"You've kept us all here, for almost two weeks now." Ian growled, moving in close to her. "And _now_ you let us go!? This isn't fucking right." 

"You wish to stay?" She purred, lifting her hands to his chest and stroking down. Her nails left tingling lines wherever they touched, even through his shirt, causing him to wince momentarily in her touch. He rolled hi head back and tried to ignore the scent of her, sweet sandlewood mixed with jasmine that engulfed his sensed. Suddenly, her nails twisted venomously in his shirt, scratching at the skin while tearing new scars into his flesh. Ian shoved her roughly away, pressng his palms agaisnt his chest while grimacing in pain, flashing her venomous looks of anger. 

"What the fuck was that for?!" He shouted, looking downwards to see the red welts bleed and stain his shirt. 

"You wish to go home." Hanniele's saccrine voice sounded. "Tomorrow, you and your family and friends will be transported. Tsunan lives now, for you have survived." 

"You're making it sound too simple." 

"Somethings in life, dear Ian." Hanniele murmered, looking away. "Are simple. Good bye." 

Ian watched as she sauntered away, the filmy dress wither away with her retreading presense. An eerie sense of calm subsided over the desolate landscape, and he flinched, not liking the feelings of being alone after her aura had washed clean and through. The very notion of being touched and washed by the creature she was deemed unnerving, seriously halting in existance to anything he wanted. It was strange and horrible, and he found himself counting the seconds until the new day dawned. 

Quietly he began his walk, checking his watch for the time. Eight hours he had stayed out here, thinking, wondering to himself, lost in his own world. Shaking his head, he almost laughed at his timing as he stepped up the steps, taking them two by two and disappearing into the darkened place he labled 'home'. 

~+~ 

"No." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Positive, Tessa." 

"Well.." Contessa murmered, leaning back and propping her feet up on the table. "I really don't know how to help you. But if you really weant the truth? It was a rotten thing to do." 

"I know I know." Collete grumbled, cradling her head on the table. "How am I gonna tell him?" 

"It's gonna be hard." Contessa gazed at her sadly. "Ian's tempermental, and scared. I overheard him talking to Taelon once about his ex girlfriends screwing him over, and how he was scared about persueing anything. This, with you and Giselle, is gonna tear him apart." 

Collete gazed up from her position and glared hard at the Kramer twin, her features softening when the genuine concern sifted through. "I think I love him." 

"Ian's hard not to love." Contessa grinned. "Oh crap, he's coming this way. Look like you're not talking about him." 

Ian came in timidly, carefully. The air around them sent off warning beepers around him, as if they were hiding something but he brushed it aside. Whatever it was, he was sure Collete would tell him soon enough. He let his eyes drift to her wayward form, as she tilted her chin up to him and gave a timid grin. Just the slight smile she gave him, her rich, blue eyes comforting him was enough to send pleasant chills down his spine. Everything about her was beautiful, and it took only one night to finally bring it up. Tentively he kneeled down next to her and leaned against her arm, reaching behind her to dance his fingers across her shoulder. Her only reply was to cover his hand with her own and and gently nudge his fingers off her shoulder, to which he instead grasped her hand in his own. 

"Hi." Collete murmered, looking away from him. 

"Hey." Ian murmered back, squeezing her hand gently. "How'd you sleep?" 

"Alright, I guess." She looked back at him, finally. Her reddened eyes brought a look of concern. She had been crying. "How about you?" 

"Decent. Why've you been crying?" 

"Have not." Collete gazed across the table at Contessa, urging the other girl to speak. 

"She got some dust in her eyes, out there wrestling Toramas." Contessa grinned cheekily. "So you two got busy last night." 

Collete's eyes widened and her cheeks reddened, while Ian simply smiled. "Yeah. Maybe. Depending on what Cole told you." 

Contessa shrugged, pulling her feet off the table and standing up, stretching her arms above her head. "She hasn't told me anything you should know. So what's the dealio here, Ian? What were you and Hanny Fanny or whatever her name is talking about?" 

"Well," ian began, a grin parting his lips. "We can go home tomorrow. All of us. She's sending us back." 

"No more bullshit?" Collete began. She shook her head disbelievingly, wonder dancing in her eyes. "No way. After all this? Why?" 

Ian shook his head. "Don't know. Really don't. All Hanniele said was that we could go home tomorrow, I survived what Tsunan didn't. Found out a few other things I don't wanna say either, but the fact of the matter is, we can go _home_ finally." 

"But why now?" Collete remarked. "If you were supposed to die last night, or this Tsunan guy..." 

"Cole?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Don't ruin a good thing." 

Collete sneered at Contessa, who gave her a smirk back and sat down in a chair once more, folding her arms around her head. "I'm bored." 

"Well, you and Cole can always go check out guys together." Ian grinned, not noticing Contessa's flinch. "I'm sure that'd be fun." 

"Nah. Not for me." She grumbled. 

"Why not?" 

Contessa gave him a stern glare and hissed "Because I just don't want to." 

Ian smirked widly at her, pulling up a chair to the table and sitting next to Collete. "Sometimes, Tess, you make me think you're one of those lesbians. Y'know, them, preferring chicks to guys. I mean, ever since I met you I've never seen you with any guy, although a hell of a lot of 'em want you an' stuff. You amaze me, with your loner ways." 

"Hmph." Contessa grunted, shaking her head. "You weren't there for my brother's drunken outburst, were you?" 

It was more of a statement than a question. Her cold tone got to him, sennding a cold finger of ice down his spine. "No. I was on the platform. Why the icy stance?" 

Contessa smiled, her lips holding a pleasant smirk. Raising her fist in the air, she pumped it twice before saying "Dyke Power!" and lowering it to rest on her waist. Ian blanched, blinking twice before turning to Collete and recieving her nod of confirmation. 

"You mean..?" 

"Yep." 

"Oh man.." He grumbled, stumbling to his feet. "Whoa. So you, like, really, like.." 

"Women." 

"Chicks.." Ian nodded dumbly. "Females, broads, babes.." 

"_Women_." Collete sternly told him, flashing him azure eyes. "Don't call us of the female gender _those_ names." 

Contessa grinned. "Yeah. Us butch dykes don't appreciate it." 

"Erm, yeah." Ian stood up and pushed his chair under the table, stumbling towards teh door. "Look, I'm gonna go relay the news, uh, not about you being a lesbian an' all nah, not that but just gonna.. Oh forget it." 

Contessa's laugher chased him as he walked down the halls, stumbling a bit with the unexpected news. She looked back at Collete and smirked widely, shaking her head. "You actually _love_ that idiot?" 

She meant it to be affectionately, and the tone was heard. "Yeah." Collete murmered, once again hiding her face in her arms. "It's official Hyne hates me now." 

Once again currowing laughter filled the room from Contessa's lips. "And you actually hit the sack with him! Do tell me one thing." 

"Yeah?" 

"Did he even find the right Hyne forsakan hole, or did he just kinda stumble around like a dipshit?" 

"Tessa!" Collete hissed. "You're just miffed because he didn't react kindly about your sexual preferance." 

"Heh. Guess I shouldn't have expected him to jump to it with open arms." Contessa nodded grimly. "But anyways.. Sorry." 

"It's okay." Collete once again lowered her face into her arms and sighed, momentarily wondering if banging her head against a wall would subside any thinking. "I have never been so damned scared in my life, Tessa. I can't believe I fucked up so bad and let Giselle rope me into this. If I could just turn back time.." 

"I swear, if there was anything I could do, I would do it Cole." Contessa said sadly. "But for now, you've just gotta lay in the bed you've made. Maybe he won't find out, and maybe he will. But what's done is done, and frankly, the guy's a complete dufus, but he'll understand. It might take a while, because he'll be really hurt, but eventually, he'll let it go." 

"I know." She murmered sadly. "But more than likely, he'll let me go too. And that's what's gonna hurt like hell." 

~+~ 

It wasn't long before the next morning came, and everyone was sceduled to the precise second of when their bodies would be sent back to which they came. Hanniele watched as their bodies shifted from full of life into dissipated flying particles, light engulfing them into bittersweet nothingness. Inwardly, her smile faded. None of them had come to say goodbye. It hurt her, that they refused to wish her good tiding, especially the one who had been her true love for a matter of weeks. She could not help but like him, just a bit, even if to their world's eyes he was their king. 

In a flash, they were gone, as quickly as they had all arrived. SHe couldn't help but feel a piece of her heart go with them. 

"M'lady." The worried voice of Drakkar sounded behind her. "The preparations are complete. Although I do not understand why you-" 

"Did you fetch it?" She interrupted, not moving from her position. Drakkar grunted in discomfort and nodded. 

"Yes M'lady. I lost three troops, but it has been found." 

With sad eyes, Hanniele nodded. The time was right. For now, she knew the true reason to bring back the child to save the king. Everything thirsted with the power, their lungs breathed in the dark air about them. 

"Tradition.." Hanniele murmered under her breath, when Drakkar was far from hearing. "That was all it took.." 

With a haunting laugh she left the room, not noticing the young army knight in the wings, watching how every step she took the ground beneath her darkened to an ashy grey steel, lightening or darkening with each moment of contact it made with her skin. As she awayed from where she walked, the grounded turned normal again, and Drakkar watched, fearful of what exactly Hanniele had in store for the King himself. The peculiar happenings, with the sacrifice of the child in a massive bloodfest with the arisening of the Guardian Force, Shiva. He shook in fear at the memory of the blue tinted woman, engulfing down the blood of an innocent to create her passage. Yet the people danced around it, drunken in their stupidity at the sight while the King himself ran away. 

Shaking his head Drakker pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He served only one King, and that was his duty, his life. No matter the cost, he would serve and protect. 

Again, her chanting laughter, her sweet voice becoming sinister, echoed the halls, and the floors chanted with steel grey notes that echoed the walls. 

It caused a shudder down his spine that never fully went away. 

~+~   
Yeah, I know it's short. I know, it's a lousy chapter. I'm trying to juggle a few more than a few things at once. Next chapter will be better. I have to make it better. Mmkay? No flames. Flames are bad.   
I'm going to bed. 


	23. Funeral

_I'm not the first you sucked down   
I drank your pleasure slow   
.....This is the last time   
**~Fuel-Last time.** _

"You look beautiful." Seifer said, his voice a monotone. Quistis straightened out her jacket and turned to gaze at him, watching his features harden like winter ice. he was cold and scared, she knew that, and fearful of going to the destination to which they were wanted. Needed. A funeral was a place that no one in their lives would ever wish to venture, but eventually will. It was what life was made up of. A hardship, a fear, a knowledge that everything ends, a reminder of being mortal. At one time he had buried her, and some way, some how she defied time and space and came back to him. Then she had to face the courage and bury him, and yet still they were brought together once again. Their love had passed the test of time, yet both of them tried hard to believe that miracles did happen twice to different people who deserved it fully. 

"Rinoa's dead." Seifer stated, as if she didn't know. "We have to go to the funeral." 

"You loved her." Quistis murmered calmly. "Didn't you." 

"We all did." 

"That's not what I meant." 

He paused for a moment, then slowly nodded his head. "I did." 

"Wonderful." She said, her voice icy and frigid. "So now you've buried two loves. This must be hurting twice fold." 

"Stop it." Seifer bit at her harshly. "Save your sympathy for Squall. He's the one who's going to need a shoulder. Not me." 

Quistis sighed and turned her back to him, reaching into a small jewelry box that sat perched on the edge of the small make up table she had in her small room. Pulling out a small, simple silver chain she lifted it up to the light, watchng it glint in the dim light of her room. The design, a hawk, engraved into the silver was worn down into just a barely noticable dent, the stone long since lost it's shine to the ravages of time. She had stopped wearing it and placed it on it's new hom, a boxed silver chain to calm the beggings of her own son and to finally make due with the understanding that miracles just usually didn't occur twice in one trial. The day she put the ring away and left her former life behind her, to raise her son on her own and perhaps adjourn on a new path of love with whomever, a cold emptiness enveloped her heart and she cried, for hours on end until Ian had walked in and asked why for. Sometimes, she still wore the ring just to remember. Yet now, as it winked in the light, the one thing she wanted to do was forget, forget what had occured and forget who's hands the blame would land on. "Where are the kids?" 

Seifer took note of the strain in her voice, but paid it no heed. Quistis Trepe would rather die than have anyone notice the cracks in her iced face. "Taelon's with Giselle and Angie. Ian and Collete are down by the pool, waiting for someone to get them. The Kramer twins, I don't know where they are." 

"Rinoa was very close to Taelon." She said coldly, fingering the ring at her neck. "She taught him how to fight." 

"Kiss me." 

"What?" 

"I said.." Seifer stepped close to her, hooking an arm around her waist possessivly. "Kiss me." 

"Seifer, I don't know what's gotten into you." Quistis pushed against his chest roughly, barely able to push him away. "But now isn't the time to get flirtacious!" 

"Do you realize how long it's been?" His hands left her and fell to his sides, fisted hard into a white knuckled stance. "For years, I've been pining for you, waiting for you. Praying to some Hyne in heaven that you would be there. Anyone else I was with faded into obscurity because they all paled in comparison to you. Every fiber of my being wanted to be in you, and every chance I could get I tried pretending I _was_. Nothing compared to you." 

"This isn't the time-" 

"Then when is?" He interrupted her, watching her hands go to her neck. "We haven't said much since we met again. Haven't discussed us. Why?" 

"Seifer, it's not our palce to bring ourselves.. Ourselves now, we don't deserve to bring attention to ourselves." Quistis stammered apologetically, looking away from him. "We have to get things settled here first." 

"You realize, Ian's going to be blamed." He spat at her. "You're gonna need me to hold onto, Quistis. You can't go through this alone." 

Quistis turned to glare at him hard, seething daggers in her eyes. "I raised him for over seventeen years, Seifer. I can go through this with out any help!" 

"You've never been through this with Ian, Quistis. And I don't want to remind you again that he's not just _your_ son anymore." Seifer started. He stepped towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressuring her to lean into his embrace. "I want to be there Quistis. I don't know what's gonna happen, but whatever it is, I'll pull every damned string I have to fix it." 

"I just want everything to be the way it was before." She murmered into his neck. "Rinoa's gone, Seifer." 

"Don't you think I know that?" His voice was soft and soothing, comforting against her ear. "We can get through this. We can. We just have to, is all." 

"Rinoa.. Rinoa would know what to do." Quistis said. "She always would know. But now she won't tell us. Anything." 

At one time, Seifer knew her best. But now the woman who was slain at his own sons' hand was a complete mystery. In cautious times, times like these, one would usually resort to harsh cold truths to snap one back into reality. He could say that of course she couldn't. Rinoa was dead. Gone. Killed. Murdered, although it wasn't truely Ian's fault. She had refused treatment, torn out any I.V. that was implanted to rescussitate her life. It wasn't until much later, through a mumbling conversation with Zell did he finally reveal that she refused to have any treatment done on her because of Julia. The last memory Rinoa had of her departed mother was with tubes and I.V's running through her body more than actual blood veins. That painful memory cost the clipped winged angel her wings. 

"She would." Seifer remarked back sadly. "Let's get going, okay? Get this over with." 

Quistis wiped her tears from her eyes and nodded slowly, bringing her gaze to his own. As always the warmth and calmness of his sea foam eyes reached her, and she sighed, gingerly pressing her lips to his own. With a fever he returned the slight pressure of her kiss, and felt dismayed when she pulled away, and brushed herself off, walking out of the room in a downcast pace. 

Quietly he watched her retreading form, and froze. An icy chilled finger trailed along his spine and touched him cold, freezing the marrow in his bones. It felt bad. Inconcievable. Something was going to happen. Instincts never lied. 

And it scared him to death. 

****************************************** 

The funeral was calming, brooding. Hordes of relitives, friends, and students came adorned in black garb. The students Squall could understand, as well as the friends, but the family he could never fathom. The general, sure. Isaacariah Caraway was always a welcome friend of the family, excellent grandfather to Taelon and finally, a true father to Rinoa. But her Aunt, which hse hadn't seen for years, had come as well, wiping tears from her withered face with an old monogrammed napkin, while her husband, her third one down the line, sat vigil. They grasped hands and sniffled amongst one another. Squall found it uncomfortable, watching them mourn his wife. Afterall, it had been ten years since she had even attempted to visit, and never once had the new man even met her. 

Near the front he saw Irvine and Selphie, hand in hand, coming forth to sit next to him. Without a sound they gave him a sad nod and sat down on the folding chairs at his side, with Selphie giving him a warm hug before returning to her own seat. On his other side sat Zell and Amie, leaving one chair open for the distrought Taelon, who was no where in sight. Giselle figided in her seat, recanting the early morning session with him involved him breaking down in tears and shoving her away, only to trip and fall in Angie's arms. 

Collete sat next to her sister, stiff and cold. Gabrian pressed his fingers on her hand, squeezing hers gently in his strong grasp. She gave a small gasp and looked up at him with wide eyes, surprised at the worry in his own for her. Beside him, Contessa howled in misery as her parents comforted her, both sitting in seats on either side of her, Cid next to his son. An unsteady truce between the family members had been held earlier on in the morning, with Edea fronting both twins into an eventual forgiveness. Rinoa's death had softened Gabrian's resolve, and he had been the one to extend an uneasy hand to his father before anyone or any instinct could repress him from doing so. 

"Ian's not here." Collete whispered to Gabrian, low enough so Squall couldn't hear. "I don't see him with Miss Trepe or Mister Almasy." 

"He's mourning in his own way." Gabrian whispered back. "Leave him be." 

"He needs his friends." She hissed back, looking around her to see if anyone else noticed. "I'm going to find him." 

"Don't you dare!" He growled at her. When she stood up to walk around he lashed out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back to her seat. "Cole, don't. Let him be alone, understand?" 

"We can't be alone when we're hurtin' Gabe." Collete murmered back. Taking her arm from his grasp she stood up and murmered an excuse before stepping away, out of Gabrian's eye sight as she dissapeared into the crowd. Gabrian shook his head and scowled, leaning back in his seat. Whatever that girl put her mind to, she would do it. No wonder they got into trouble constantly. 

"Watch yourself! We don't need anymore idiots around here!" He shouted after her invisible form. A lithe arm extending a middle finger appeared from above the heads in the corwd, signaling that she indeed heard, and might heed his warning. Gabrian stifled the urge to volt after her and drag her, kicking and screaming back. She might hurt him then. 

He felt a strong hand on his arm, and gazed up to see his father's clear eyes on him. Silently, he gave a curt nod and looked away, crossing his arms around his broad chest giving the silent signal to leave him be. The silent truce they had was not with out it's misgivings. To Cid, it was a time for new begginings. To Gabrian, it was just a reason not to punch his father's lights out. 

"Dad, look, can you try not to touch me?" He grumbled out, wretching from his father's hand. "I don't like being touched." 

"You let your sister hold your hand through even the most painless tasks, but when it comes to me you won't even let me derive comfort from you during a time like this?" The hurt in Cid's voice was eminant, and Gabrian felt a twang of guilt. "Why son?" 

"Father, I don't want to talk about it. The services are starting." Gabrian shifted in his seat once more, forcing the subject to drop. Cid grunted absentmindedly and nodded, pulling himself back into his strict seating position. 

Silently they watched the charade happen, listening to the tears of comrades, friends and family alike spill off of saddened faces and crash into the ground. The mystical aura that surrounded them was unnerving, scarey even, for a Garden that was not a stranger to sadness, each time a passing moment of pain happened it was still as hard as the first time. Cid had been there through it all, each death a stabbing in his old heart, the blade twice as sharp as before. 

It never got easier, no matter what they said. 

With tears in his eyes he once again rested his hand on his son's knee, trying desperately with out words to say that he needed the boy's youth, the boy's strength to pull him through. 

Shock still held him cold when Gabrian didn't brush off his touch. 

~+~ 

Leaves smelled funny when drenched in tears. 

Which they were, no many how many times he fingered them they were wet with dew, glistening droplets that fell. 

Like tears. 

The services were starting, and even though he had gotten up at five in the morning to make sure he was there on time to pay his respects, he still couldn't muster up the courage to go. They would look at him, whisper behind their backs that he had no place at Rinoa Heartilly's funeral, and deep down he would know that they were right. Yet even if he didn't go he would be labled as a coward, a useless yellow belly, and still he couldn't find any other reason to dissuade their thoughts. It wold be a lose-lose-situation for him, and a win-win for them, and there was no reason for it to be the other way around. 

Earlier he had walked to the Cafeteria, to try and find something to calm his nerves when he saw Taelon there, possibly for the same reasons he had. The sight of the younger boy drove an icy finger into his heart and tore a hole, and quickly he turned on his heel and left. Yet the view of the disturbed youth was still with him. Taelon, hunched over a cup of coffee that steamed into his face, causing miniscule beads of sweat to form on his delicate toned skin. Droplets fell from his eyes, and no matter how hard he tried to keep the dam of pain intact he eventually laid his arms down on the table and wracked with sobs, until the kind cafeteria lady came over and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a shoulder to cry on. 

He lost all nerve to face anyone. So he found a tree, climbed it in his best funeral wear, and stayed there. 

"Like a mother's touch." Ian murmered to no one in particular, wiping a leaf across his lips absentmindedly. 

"Goin' on a rabbit food diet, Ian?" 

Ian started suddenly, dropping the leaf. It fluttered to the ground by her foot and fell next to her right shoe, a delicate colour of envy on lace. She picked it up and spun the stem around her finger a bit, glancing up at him with a wandering gaze. "You're not at the service Ian." 

"I don't belong there Cole." His reply was sardonic and cold. "I don't belong anywhere." 

"You belong with us." Steadily, she bunched up her ankle length skirt around her thighes, tying it into a twist. Gripping the bark she climbed up into the tree, gripping into the hard wood carefully. "Are you part monkey, Ian? Can't believe you got all the way up there." 

"No." Ian murmered sadly. "One part bastard, one part bitch and full part murderer." 

"Not true." The hemline of Collete's skirt became entangled in a small branch, and she cursed at it venomously. Ian reached over to calmly pull the torn fabric from it's captive and let it spring back into place next to her calf. "Thanks. But it's still not true." 

"What is?" 

"What you said." She pulled herself up onto the next branch over, sitting near him calmly. Smoothing out her skirts absentmindedly, she frowned at the noticable stain near the torn edge of her skirt, and shook her head. "You're not a murderer. At least that's what I think. And others too. Even Taelon. Even he doesn't blame you." 

"He will eventually." 

"No he won't." 

"Yes he will." 

"No." 

"Yes." 

"Hyne, Ian, you're incorrigable!" Collete barked suddenly, shocking him once again. He stumbled in his seat for a moment before regaining composure and balance, leaning back carefully with flushed tones. He gave her a cold stare before turning away, reaching upwards to clutch another leaf in his hand, ignoring her seering gaze. "Please tell me that Shiva's ice hasn't covered your heart yet? The last thing we need is another guy walking around mumbling 'Whatever' under his breath." 

"Whatta you know?" He murmered. "You weren't there. You weren't inside that Hyne forsaken shell, you weren't a husk in your own body. You didn't watch as hundreds of screams ripped into you like a knife." 

"You're wrong. I _was_ there, and I _did_ hear those screams." She pulled herself more steady on the withered branch she sat on, not liking the creaking in it's base. Reaching over she ran an arm down his black tailored jacket sleeve and sighed, not liking his unresponsive nature. "I don't like you this way Ian." 

"I hate who I am." Ian began quietly. He dropped the leaf he held and watched it hit the ground with out a sound, and then brought his eyes to the funeral before him. "I hate the fact I'm alone. Even in Esthar. I hate my mom for screwing Seifer and making me. I hate Seifer for participating, and then not being there, no matter whether or not my mom thought he was dead. I hate Ordin for not even attempting to fight for my mom.." 

"Hey, Ian-" 

"..And I hate you for falling in love with me." He turned to face her slowly, contempt marring his features. "You don't know what love is. You don't know what it's like. You think if you just sleep with someone once it's set for life?" 

He saw no angry reaction on her part, and immediately felt lower than the leaf he flipped away. It would have been so much better for his additude if she had made an attempt to some how throw him out of the tree they were in, adn proceeded to pound the living daylights out of his body, but instead she just watched him, hurt swirling in her eyes. When she broke away and pressed her back to the trunk of the tree, her audible sobs tearing a new hole inside the empty feelings he had. Sighing listlessly, he reached over and touched her arm, wincing when she pulled sharply away. 

"Collete, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Honest." 

"Go to hell." She sniffled. 

"Cole, I'm sorry, I-" 

"Ya know what Ian?" She hissed back, viciously wiping the tears from her face. "Some times saying you're sorry isn't enough. You shouldn't have said that. At all!" 

"I'm sorry, okay?!" He shouted back at her. "I didn't mean it. I'm upset, people say things stupid when they're upset." 

"You _meant_ it Ian!" Collete shouted. "You meant it!" 

"Cole, knock it off!" He shouted back at her, nearly losing his balance. "I'm sorry, okay? But it's true! You jumped into bed with me, even when I resisted. I know there's something else at hand here. You told me once you prized being 'untouched', but for you to throw it all away just like that ain't your style." 

"Since when did you become a professional mind reader?" She hissed back through a cracking voice. 

Ian sighed. "My ESP does funny things, but it doesn't let me read minds. I know you Cole, that's why we're friends. I knew I could trust you. But.." 

"Trust me.." She repeated his words, the sound in her ears unnerving. "With this, you can't let me help you through this?" 

"I just.. I just can't." He sounded distrought, scared. "I can't, alright? Can't you accept it? You're not perfect. I'm not perfect. The world is fucked up and we're Hyne's playing pieces in a game of chess we can't win. It's useless to just care anymore. It doesn't matter. We're all gonna die. I just don't care anymore." 

"Fine, if you feel that way." She stood up on the unwavered branch, balancing herself pricariously on the withered wood. Ian shouted out a strangled cry, which she vehemontly ignored. "Gee, I wonder why you care so much." 

"Stop it Cole, we're one and a half stories up!" Ian scrambled along his own thick branch, shimmying along it to see if it could hold his weight. Satisfied with it's sturdy position, he reached an arm out to her and grunted, sneering at her. "Come on! Grab my hand!" 

"Wow, for someone who doesn't care, you're sure upset." She smirked at him calmly, and proceeded to do a small dance on the branch, leaves shaking around her. A soft breeze blew her slightly off balance and she stumbled a step, catching herself and gripping the branch hard. Carefully, she stood back up, pressing her hands to her skirts to smooth them out. "Heh, close call." 

"No one get's lucky twice!" He barked, straining to grab her once more. "Collete Dincht, may Hyne strike you down _grab my fucking hand!_ You're gonna kill yourself!" 

Once again she did a simple turn on the dilapidated branch, stepping towards the thinner end. "Funny, for someone who doesn't care, you're awfully worried." The branch let out an eerie creak, and her taunting gaze turned around into a confused look. "What the hell?" 

"Collete, this tree is dying." Ian began calmly, inching himself across his own branch. "The limb you're on is rotted wood. If you're not careful, the branch will break. Now get on it carefully, and pull yourself over here, and give me your fucking hand." 

"I'd rather die then let get any help from you, of all people." Timidly she stepped closer to the trunk of the tree, her footing precise. "Rather get skeward by a falling branch than even come _near_ you right now.." 

"You don't have a choice _damn_ you Collete grab my hand!" He made an attempt to grab at her ankle, and came almost an inch short. "You're fucking crazy! What the hell is wrong with you?" 

"Wrong with _me_? You're the idiot who won't let anyone help you through this." Carefully she stepped her way back to the trunk of the tree, gripping the sides harshly. "You've just gone from being yourself to being a bastard in record time. How many times to I have to remind you? We all know you're hurting, but the more you push us away the more we're going to push back. You kinda can't get away from us." 

"And you remind me of this all the time." 

"Who else is going to?" 

"A Hyne forsaken parrot you've owned for the past three weeks." Ian pulled a cigarette from behind his ear, lighting it with a small flame from the palms of his hands. "Look. Don't take this the wrong way? But somethings have to be done alone. This is one of them." 

"Do you have Diablos?" 

He frowned. "No. Why?" 

"This particular place is crawling with Malboros, Ian." Collete smiled. "If I know you like I think I do, you're gonna crawl away to the nearest area some where else and just think until tomorrow. But the fact you're unarmed and pretty much vague with out anything to keep yourself safe, I'm pretty sure by the time you get to your safe place in where ever you're going you'll be Malboro chow." 

"I hate being predictable." 

"I didn't think you'd say to me what you did." 

With out a word, Ian pressed the tip of his thumb against his forehead and concentrated, a filmy snowish white glow forming around his hand. With out even looking at her he threw his hand towards her, thrusting the snowy white light forwards and capturing her in it's embrace. With out a sound aside the wimper of pain, time stood still, her shoulders aching with a birning sensation of being torn asunder, painfullly, and regretfully. Feathered halo of wings erupted from her back and flapped twice, and she was powerless to stop herself from suddenly feeling weightless, and frozen with fear. 

"Ian.." She hissed angrilly, her fingers barely able to heed her mental commands. "What the hell have you done to me?" 

"Float and Stop." He grumbled. Facing her, he pressed his thumbs against her temples and issued pressure. "Now hold still." 

Capturing her with his eyes, he dove into her head, racing across the vast tunnels and the empty ruins of her mind. Carefully, he pressed on forward, searching through the subtle memories and hard emotions she was feeling, until he almost reached the peak. Concentrating hard enough to induce a bead sized sweat drop that trailed from his temple to his chin, he started suddenly when she regained enough control against his will to grasp at his wrists and gripping them. Ignoring her actions, he let his mental sight wander on until finally he found what he sought. 

The tearing sound echoed in her ears, causing them to feel as if they were bleeding. Gasping, she tried to hold onto what he was pulling at, and failed, feeling the last thread rip away in a crash of tinted glass and forged steel. The pain was great, and she bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from screaming. A shriek of anger and another of unbridled coaxing of his voice and it was gone as fast as the moment it happened. 

And she could no longer feel the demonic presense in her mind. 

"There." Ian murmured in a low voice. Turning away from her, he pressed his fingers against his forehead and grimaced, his mind crunching into itself in an oncoming headache. "Done." 

Shutting her eyes tightly, Collete pressed the palms of her hands against her temples, subsiding the nasiating feelings that rushed forward. "The hell-?" 

"You better get back to the service soon." He said, matter of factly. "Float's going to stop, and then _you'll_ be the Malboro Chow." 

"You son of.. You took Diablos from me!" 

"That I did." 

But.. How?" 

"Simple." Ian turned to look at her again, his own sly smirk on his features. "It's more compatible with me." 

Shaking her head slowly, she leaned against the trunk of the tree, glaring daggers into the back of his skull. "That was low." 

"You should know by now that when I wanna be left alone, I want to _be alone_." He snaked a hand out and gripped her wrist in a tight grasp, barely hinging on painful. "I know you think I need friends. But I've been alone most of my damned life. I didn't have many friends in Esthar. An occasional school pal, but that's mostly it. This is new to me. Having people around, that actually care that aren't related to me, I didn't want to get used to it. But I did. And look what happened." 

"We began to care about you." She growled, yanking her arm away. "And you about us." 

"I didn't want that Cole. I didn't want it." Sighing deeply, he slinked down and laced his fingers over his stomach, glaring at the sun. "Because I knew it'd end. I'd go back to Esthar, and you guys? I don't know. And I care. That's what bites." 

"Knowing that you have feelings, or knowing that others care for you?" Collete whispered and a golden glasy light surrounded her, cracking float into pieces and lovering her onto the same branch as he sat on. "It's both, huh?" 

Ian cast his mismatched gaze on her and nodded slowly before looking away. "There is no way in hell I can make this up to Taelon." 

"No, there ain't." Collete shrugged. "Because you didn't do it. He'll be mad for a while, but he knows." 

"Do you think, that when we really regret what we've done.." He began slowly, reaching out to her calmly. "That even the dead would forgive us?" 

She couldn't answer. There had only been a few occurances when she had been face to face with the departed. She could count them on one hand. Grandma Dincht, Grandma Lyric, and each time she knew that deep down she had never done anything truely wrong to either of the women. Pressing her lips together, she began to think up a half truth until he spoke, breaking the silence. 

"That's a nice necklace. Never seen you wear it. Where'd you get it?" 

Lithe fingers trailed along the cool silky beads on her neck. "This? My grandma. Before she died." 

"You wear 'em well." 

This time, she didn't bother answering. Only to break down in another fit of sobs that she couldn't control, even when he pulled her close to soothe whatever it was that was upsetting her so. And relieved as she was when he motioned for the both of them to come down from the height of the tree when the services were dissipating, he didn't bother to ask any questions. They would pay their respects as secretly as he could manage, and then face the consequinces. As long, she thanked Hyne, he didn't ask about the pearls. 

Another day, another lie. 

That was the life of a SeeD. 

~+~ 

Irvine wandered around like a zombie after the last patch of dirt had been thrown into the deep pit. 

On top of her. 

He wondered if it were possible for her to hear him scream, screaming at the caretakers to stop, that she would eventually come up breathing, smiling, and brushing the soil from her hair. Then she would look at everyone, shake her head and ask them why they shed tears at all, when what she wanted was a huge blowout party to celebrate her life, and not her death. 

Just about as likely as she would actually do that. 

"Remember when we buried Quisty?" He remarked suddenly, out of the blue, to Laguna. Laguna was sitting calmly in his chair, his face an ashen shade of gray, almost as similar to the lightened streaks in his hair. After his initial nod, Irvine continued. "We buried her memory, not her body. We just buried her memory. It was easier to accept then, 'cause we technically didn't lose her." 

Laguna set down his cup and stared into the sweetened black liquid, feeling steam hit his face. "Didn't lose her at all. She came back. Eventually." 

"Yeah." 

"My son's torn." He continued. A long drink from his cup before he continued, glancing over his shoulder to see anyone coming up behind him. "Squall's torn. He doesn't believe Ian's responsible, but he's torn-" 

"Doesn't think that little.. _demon_ is responsible for Rin's death?" Irvine seethed over his ownc up of coffee, gripping the mug into a white knuckled grasp. "How the _hell_ could he not?! That little bastard killed her in cold blood!" 

"Shuttup Irvine!" Laguna barked in a whisper, ignoring the looks of those nearby. "Ian was in a trance. Hynotized, or something, but he just plain wasn't under bloody control. It's not his fault." 

"Then who's? Huh?" Irvine bent his head over, watching as his cheek length bangs fall before his pale blue eyes that were brimming with tears. "That plousy, son of a bitch is gonna pay. Not Ian's fault? Point me in the right direction and consider that bastard dead. But more'n likely it'll be in that shit's way." 

Laguna winced and leaned in closer, whispering with his breath hot with rage. "Maybe we should blame Gabrian than? Huh? Your prize gun slingin' student thought a game of truth or dare in Tsunan's tomb would be a blast, and then shoved the poor kid into picking bones, literally." 

"That doesn't matter-" 

"Or maybe _you_, Kinneas, since your charming sailing skills _left_ those kids alone." Laguna watched as Irvine shot his head up, and met the older man's green eyes with startled blue ones. "Just what exactly were you and Selphie doing, Kinneas? Where were you two? Why weren't you watching the kids? And how come your incident report that you filled out, in _your_ handwriting is a hell of a lot more different than Selphie's verbal side of the story?" 

Irvine sputtered out a few sounds, none in explanation, so Laguna continued. "Or let's blame Selphie for fallin' over. If she had held onto something, you wouldn't have gone nuts and left those kids to try and _salvage their own lives_ while all you could think about was getting your next screw!" 

With a lurch Irvine jumped from his seat and scrambled across the small table, grasping for Laguna's neck. The president scrambled away, only to have the lunging body of Irvine Kinneas slam into him roughly, bringing him to the ground. A hail of fists fell on Laguna's body and face, and even though he brought up his hands to shield himself as best he could, he felt the cracking of bones in his face and then the warm gush of blood creep down his chin. Irvine's clenched fingers slipped in the mess he made of the President's face, and he slammed hard into the floor instead, crying out in anguish and bringing his fist close to him, feeling with his free hand the crushed bones that were the remains of his fingers. 

Laguna saw his chance through the haze of blood that had accumilated. Lifting a weakened arm, he stretched his fist back and slammed a strong right hook across Irvine's left cheek, watching as the younger man coughed and fell to the side, off of his aching body, clutching his hand and face. Climbng on top of the Instructor, he pulled Irvine's arms away from his face and slammed the wrists to the hard floor, cursing as his false leg rammed itself in between Irvine's legs, the younger man squealing in pain. He held down Irvine's arms to the floor, using his superior weight to his advatage and stared down at the stricken young man. 

"You a big man now, Kinneas?" Laguna growled, his breath hot and scorching against Irvine's face. "You lied on your incident report, you lied about what happened that day, but Selphie blew it all. You wanted a little romantic get away with her to try and soothe things over when you got drunk that night in Deiling and bought a hooker. You thought that one passionate night with your sorry ass would make her forget all about it, Didn't you?" 

Irvine's howls stopped suddenly, and he gazed up venomously at Laguna, with out saying a word. The older man took this cue to continue his 'talk' with the Instructor, ignoring the crowd that had formed. "Trying too much to be the Romeo again, eh Cowboy? Wanna do nothin' but stick it where ya want to? Even at the cost of everyones' kids?" 

Laguna stood up and brushed himself off, leaving a disheveled and bloody Irvine on the floor cradling his own injuries. "Th-That's not t-true." He began, stuttering over his own bloodied lips. "It can't be. I could never do that to..to.." 

"Your friends?" Laguna finished for him. "Save it. You were just planning on blaming my daughter in law's death on a boy I consider my second grandson, when all in all, it could have been _your_ fault for not handling the situation well. You've been to the tomb. You knew how dangerous it could be. But you just wanted Selphie scared enough to wrap her arms around you and immediately forget that night of ignorance. But it don't happen that easy, buddy." 

With that, Laguna turned on his heel and flung a bloody sneer over his shoulder, leaving Irvine to be tended over by the crowd that had formed over their fight. "Never be that easy. If something happens to Ian becuase of this, it's on your head, Kinneas. Not Ian's, like you want, but yours. You wanted a night of passion in a secluded cave? Well I dearly hope Hyne sends you to a bevvy of enchanting females, because I swear, by all I hold holy, _boy_," He growled as he stepped out the door. "I will fucking kill you." 

With that he left his threat suspended in mid air, forever haunting the younger man, who lay sprawled on teh floor. He waved off any helping hands and watched the slick sillouetted figure of Laguna stalking off into the distance. Laguna knew. Laguna some how knew what had happened, and why it was his fault. He had been lying to himself, lying to everyone, and trying to place it all on a scared and confused youth. 

"Don't touch me!" Irvine shouted when a comforting pair of hands descended behind him to help him to his feet. Stomping off, he knew he had some explaining to do, and some things to make right. He didn't realize until that moment that what had occured was horribly, horribly wrong, and he was at fault. 

"I wasn't watchin' them.. I shoulda _known_ something like this woulda happened.." He slammed his fist against the wall, leaving a small indent while cradling it's broken partner. "Damn it! Damn that kid.." 

"What kid Instructor Kinneas?" A soft, deep voice behind him said. 

"Wha-?" Irvine snapped around, and came eye to eye with the dark cyan gaze of Taelon Leonhart, his eyes rimmed with red and dry. "Nothing, Tae. Nothing. How ya doin'?" 

"I'm alright. Have you seen Ian trepe?" 

"No." Irvine murmured. "Haven't. Why?" 

Taelon raised a strict eyebrow and slowly shook his head. "No reason. I just want to talk with him. He did not show up at the service." 

"Yeah, well.. " Irvine began, wiping the blood from his face. "Can you blame him? Who ever heard of a murderer goin' to his victim's funeral?" 

Taelon cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. "I wouldn't call him mom's killer. Mom wouldn't take treatment. She didn't want to be like my grandmother, didn't want to be the last vision I remembered of her tied up in tubes, like my grandmother Julia's last memory to her is. She just didn't want that for me." 

"But dontcha see!?" Irvine began, thrusting his hands out wards in a painful gesture. "If Ian hadn't gone plumb crazy back tehre, than she'd be alive! Come on, Tae, you gotta agree with me here." 

"Actually, I've been thinking." The younger Leonhart remarked casually. "If Gabrian hadn't pushed Ian towards the Tomb and made such an obscene suggestion, than mom'd be alive. If we hadn't gotten stranded, than whatever happeend to Ian wouldn't have happened. Instructor, there's so many ways to interpret it, and I've been doing that for the past few weeks. It all comes down to the fact Ian was possessed over something none of us know about. Something we couldn't control. Might as well let sleeping dogs lie." 

"You're too calm about this Taelon." Irvine spoke in a low voice. "Too calm." 

"I did my crying when we went back in time." The boy replied. "Now it's my time to just simply mourn. If you see Ian, tell him I want to speak to him?" 

"Yeah. Okay." 

"Oh, and Mister Kinneas?" 

"Yeah?" 

Taelon winced slightly, eyeing Irvine from head to toe. "I think you'd better get yourself.. Checked over. My grandfather did you in good." 

~+~ 

"You really should cease with such forceful problems, Uncle Laguna." Ellone chided softly, as she wrapped the last of the filmy white gauze around Laguna's hand and wrist. "You never did seem to have a temper, so what did Irvy say to make you so angry?" 

"He insulted my brand of shoes." Laguna hissed in pain when she tightened the gauze a bit, recognizing his lie. "Okay fine he insulted my table manners." 

"Uncle Laguna.." Ellone shook her head slowly, tugging on the long sleeves of her dark dress. The scars from the past still showed in dark, ugly slashes, in puckered skin. "You shouldn't hit a grieving man." 

"I didn't hit my son. I hit that Romeo jackass Irvine." He said the name like a curse, disliking the sound of it on his own tongue. "Elle, you think it'll be alright if I have my boys come up for a while to Esthar? Get away from this crap? Everythings' cool for now. I can take a few weeks off." 

Ellone smiled warmly, patting Laguna's bandaged hand. "I think that'd be a great idea. I was going to suggest it." 

"And I intercepted ya" Laguna grinned. 

Ellone sighed, smiling kindly. "Do you know where Ian went?" 

He shook his head slowly, narrowing his eyes precariously. "I thought he was with his favorite 'aunt' Elle. Didn't Gabe say that Giselle was going after him? Or was that Collete?" 

"He was dating Giselle, and from what I've heard Collete and Ian are close." 

"Collette with the brown eyes?" 

"Uncle Laguna!" Ellone said exhaspherately. She tilted her head and smiled, a glittery hint of of a jinx in her eyes. "You've known the girls since they were born, and you still don't know that Cole has the blue eyes, and Gissy with the brown?" 

"Whatever!" Laguna stood up and checked the gauze around his hand and wrist, noting his fingers. The brown, purple palor was still emimnant in the cracked digits, but they didn't hurt as much anymore. Flexing his wrist a little, he winced at the painful spasm that occured in the muscle, and hissed out a Cure spell to soothe it. "Girls' are twins! Who can tell 'em apart?" 

"I can, Ian can, the Kramer twins.." Laguna gave Ellone a distrustful glare, and she smirked a bit. "It's not so hard. Cole's a tomboy, and Giselle is the exact opposite." 

"Whatever!" 

"Now I know where Squall gets it." 

"Hmph." 

"Uncle Laguna," Ellone said thoughtfully. "I think I remember seeing Ian and Collete walking back after the services. If you ask Gabrian, he might know where Collete is, and that's more than likely where Ian'll be." 

"Unlike everyone else, I'm not a fan of Gabrian Kramer." He walked over to the window of the tiny room, looking outside with an eerie look on his face. "The hell..?" 

"Uncle Laguna?" Ellone said, her voice a bit high. "Is something wrong?" 

"Yeah.." He growled, baring his teeth. "I found Ian." 

"Where is he?" 

Laguna picked up his jacket from the table, and slipped it on crookedly, pulling open the door to the Infirmary with his good hand. "He's getting arrested. Come on!" 

Outside a small crowd had begun to form, with two uniformed officers standing infront of Ian, strict looks and words escaping from their chapped lips that fell on deaf ears. Ian laced his hands behind his back and nodded solemnly as the officers continued with their talk, asking him if he understood why exactly he was to be placed in cuffs that they strung from their belts. Quietly, he held out his hands and was roughly turned around, his arms yanked painfully to the small of his back as they slipped the cuffs around his wrists. 

"What're you thinking?!" Collete began to shriek, resisting the urge to shove one of the officers, hard, into the back of his car. "He didn't do a damned thing!" 

"The boy just admitted to the murder of Rinoa Leonhart, young lady." The officer growled. "Now back off!" 

"Now hold on here, there has to be an explanation for this." Laguna barked, walking quickly towards the car with Ellone in tow. "Who called you?" 

"That is none of your business." 

"I'm President Laguna Loire of Esthar, young man." Laguna growled, glaring daggers at the young officer. "I have a right to know who assigned this!" 

"I'm sorry sir, I'm not at liberty to tell." 

"What in Hyne's name is going on here!?" Seifer's angry voice shouted over the crowd. He pushed himself through the onlookers, shoving harshly at Gabrian Kramer while the youth stood frozen, looking on. "Portman?" 

"General Almasy sir!" The younger officer saluted, standing up straight as his partner shoved Ian's head under neath and into the car. "Arresting a youth beng tried for murder, sir!" 

"That's no youth that's my son, you imbecile!" Seifer reached over and grabbed the other officer, pulling him forward. "Uncuff that kid right now!" 

"You uncuff that kid and I'll sue you for every dime you and this Garden has and will ever make." 

Seifer winced, turning from the officers to where the voice emulated behind him. Isaacariah Caraway stood with his arms tightly clasped around his chest, a stern look of anger and agony crossing his face over and over. He had just buried his daughter, his only child, that afternoon, and his mood shone brightly across the withered lines of his forehead. Seifer stepped towards him, his footsteps heavy and cold, and whispered solemnly, close to his face. 

"General Caraway." He murmured quietly, narrowing his eyes. "Are you the one who called the police on my son?" 

"Your son?" Caraway scoffed. "Son, is only a human word. That child is a monster! A murderer! He should be skinned alive and burned at the stake!" 

A strangled cry from inside the car, and Seifer threw a look over his shoulder. Ian's head was bent low, unwilling to face anyone as Caraway's words washed over him. 

The last thing Caraway saw as he spewed forth his angry outburst was Seifer's fist hitting him right in the face, and then nothing. 

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~   
Good lord this is late.   
My bad v.v..   
Wanna make my day a good one? No? Well review anyway! 


	24. Kin

Kin  
***** 

"I can't believe you did that." Squall paced the floor of his office, pressing grooves into the lush carpeting. the hysteria of the Garden had calmed down into an uneasy siolence, with only the hustle and the silent demeaning structure had remained. The students pressed in their own sordid details of the scandelous event, whispering their own words of what had happened at Rinoa's funeral, and afterwards. No matter how hard he tried not to listen, Squall heard everything they said, and proceeded to grab the nearest six foot blond and drag him to his office and yell at him, no matter who he might have ended up being. "I can't believe you did that Seifer. How the hell could you have done that to Caraway?!" 

"Simple, actually." Seifer replied, his voice lethargic and calm. "See an old man, bunch up your little fingers like this, and-" 

Squall turned to him, disgust written all over his features. "That is _not_ funny." 

"Sure it is!" Blonde russet hair seemingly laughed as he turned his head, staring longedly out a window with a smirk perched on his lips. "Didja see the way his head bounced? And the blood? I must have hit him pretty hard to break his nose. At least I assume it's busted." 

"Yeah, I mean no, I mean.. Argh!" Squall stomped noisily back to his desk and slammed a hard fist into the oak setting, ignoring the unyielding dull pain that accompanied it. "Seifer, that was wrong. You just broke my father-in-law's face!" 

"You're just jealous I did it before you!" Seifer bit back regretfully, narrowing his eyes at Squall's disgusted sneer. "Look. I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hitting your precious father-in-law, but look what he did to Ian." 

Squall shook his head slowly, and sat down at his desk, picking up a pen to flick between his fingers. "Point." He murmered, his eyes a downcast gale storm. "But take a look through his eyes for once. Caraway's only daughter was killed.. He's a grieving man, Seifer. You don't hit someone who was grieving for their own child. You know that." 

"Can't say I do. Didn't have a child until a few months ago." Seifer scoffed. "And it's not like you know what it's like to grieve for a kid anyway." 

"You don't understand what it's like to lose a child." Squall turned away from Seifer and closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "Me.. Rinoa and I almost lost Taelon." 

"Whoa.. How?" Seifer murmured quietly, leaning back in his seat. "Never told me this before Puberty boy." 

Squall sighed, letting his dark hair fall before his eyes. "Taelon and Collete were in the Training center, doing their thing. I told them if they saw a T-rexuar, to run. They didn't." 

Seifer raised his eyebrows, trying to see the young Leonhart defying authority and failing. "Sorry Squall I don't see Taelon not following your orders. It's impossible, the kid's as straight laced as they come." 

"It was mostly Cole. She wanted some.. bones, I think. Wanted to mess around with her gloves." He shook out his hair and then ran his slim fingers through the brown lockes, frowning at the memory. "Anyway, Taelon stayed behind, thought he could hit it from above, and, well.. he didn't. The bastard tail swiped, knocking Cole out almost immediately, and while Taelon was running towards her with a Phoenix down.. that monster got him in it's mouth.. and.." 

"Holy shit.." Seifer growled under his breath. He pressed his fingers against his forehead, imagining the grizzly scene. "That.. I'm sorry, Squall." 

"Taelon's right arm had to be screwed together, it was almost seperated from his body. It was barely there. He spent three months in Intensive Care. He had to learn how to write left handed because his right arm was so mangled. Eventually he got use of it. But it took so fucking long.." He shook his head free of the thoughts, instead concentrating on continueing. "I was out teaching Tessa the gunblade when it happened. Cole came screaming to me. Thats why Taelon wears long sleeves all the time.. His right arm.. It's scarred, all the way to a few inches above his wrist. Cole got off lucky, she's marred on the waist from the tail swipe, but Taelon.. But now, I'm just thankful he's alive. Understood?" 

"I can't say that I'd be upset, or anything if something like that happened to Ian." Seifer responded slowly. "I mean.. I don't know. I'm sorry." 

"If something like that happened to Ian you would run around like a chocobo with it's head cut off looking for the bastard who hurt him." Squall interrupted Seifer's thoughts with the tart reply. "You would run to the ends of the earth and use every favor you had with anyone to help him. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ comes before the life of your child, Seifer. You just proved that by knocking my father-in-law flat on his ass out there." 

"That doesn't matter! What matters is-" 

"You know what's sad, Seifer?" 

Seifer bit his tongue, narrowing his eyes carefully. "What?" 

"The fact that I above all people who could actually get this point across am trying to convince you that you love your own child." Squall raised a hand when an astonished Seifer opened his mouth to speak, silencing any words that the older man wanted to say. "Look, I don't know what you're going through; I can't exactly say everything will be alright, because even though Tae and I don't blame the boy.. He _is_ at fault in Caraway's eyes. It's the same thing that happened with Matron, back then. Possession, pain, the whole bit, it's like a circle, escalating out of control whenever it's around us." He pressed his fingers to his forehead again, feeling an upcoming migraine. "I have to be honest with you." 

"Haven't you been already?" Seifer growled. "Squall, look, I'm sorry about Taelon. I know it had to have hurt you when it happened, but what does that have to do with Ian?" 

Squall shook his head slowly, refusing to meet his eyes. "I.. I don't really know. Taelon has been the one most incredible joys in my life, ever since he was born, when I first held him in my arms, with him reaching up to me. Looking to me as a savior, the one to keep him from hurting. His hero. But I couldn't protect him from his mother's death. Couldn't take away his pain. It's selfish but sometimes I had laid awake at night wishing I was the one who could die before Rin, not the other way around. Just so I wouldn't have to look at his face when he cried." 

"Why.." Seifer began slowly, processing the thoughts in his head as fast as he could say them. "Why are you telling me this? All of this? It makes no sense Squall." 

"I don't want you to lose your son like I almost lost mine, Seifer!" He spat back at him angrily, turning the full gale force of his stormy eyes on the older man before him. "Having a child, it's so unbelievable. It's the perfect mix of the one you love and yourself, and every time you look at him you're gonna see you. Don't you understand? How many children do you have to breed before you can look them in the eye and say 'You're mine' and actually mean it? How many times do I have to let Caraway get his face smashed in by you before you realize just _why_ you did that?" 

Seifer remained in silent awe as he gaped at the commander, appreciation forming in his mind. Words meant many things to him over the years, words from the lips of everyone whom he had been blessed to call friends, yet now, as Squall stormed over him, the rage of a vast lightening filled sky that crashed into the ocean waves, causing the loud claps of thunder to storm did he finally understand. A child, a precious jewel that escapes all eternity through out on, the seed of your own body implanted to live on. Each one was different, unique, yet still their parent's own. To lose one is the same as dying, living forever in a vast pain of mortification and shock that one can never fully recover. He never realized until then, past all the words and all the uncertainty, the claims and then the denials of who he was. A father, whether or not he was seventeen years too late. 

Seventeen years is a long time, he tried to reason sadly. 

"I did it.." He began, trying to force out the words. 

"Because you love him." Squall finished for him, leaning back arrogantly, proud that he had finally made his statement clear. "You love Ian." 

Seifer's brow furrowed dangerously, and he scowled up at the commander hatefully. "How can I love him?! How?! I missed everything! His first steps, his first words, his first day of school, his first _everything!_ Hell he probably called Ordin Daddy while the son of a bitch spoon fed him his first solid bite. How, pray tell, can I love someone I don't even know?" 

""Well, for one, Ordin wasn't around the time Ian was born, and second, by realizing just _why_ you hit my father-in-law." Squall shook his dark head slowly, sadly, as he stood, a melonsholy look gracing his face. "Your son was in danger, so you hit the cause. Just the same way I tore into the T-Rexuar that hurt my Taelon, you tore into Caraway and had to be forcibly dragged away. You're a father now, Seifer, even if you don't think you are. Or don't think you can be." 

"We never had fathers.." 

"Doesn't stop us from loving our own children." 

"..I don't know how." 

"To love?" Squall remarked casually. "Or to be a father?" 

"I don't know." Seifer stood up from his seat and walked past Squall to the window, gazing at the sky. The former sunny day had suddenly turned dark, damp with a sudden downpour of rain to wash away the tears shed in the ground that day. It matched his mood, and on another sickening level he envied it. How it could change with a thought, with nothing else to question it's judgement. Turning slightly to face his once rival and now friend, Seifer watched him, suddenly scared that no matter how close they once were, both friend and enemy-wise, he could not read him. "I'm scared. I don't know how to be a father. I don't have anything inside me telling me what to do.I never had a father, Squall. We never had them growing up. You found yours when you didn't need any fatherly advice on life. How in the hell did you do it? Even Laguna didn't raise you so he couldn't tell you what to do. Who do I turn to? Who?" 

"You can turn to me." Squall smiled weakly, extending a hand. "You can talk to me." 

"When Quistis and I lost the first child we had.. When she miscarried." Seifer began slowly. "Do you remember that?" Squall nodded, urging Seifer to go on. "I was never more afraid in my life. I was scared that I'd lose Quistis again. After Kadowaki convinced me that she'd be fine, I thought of nothing but the baby. For weeks on end, I though of nothing but the baby, and nothing but of how she might have looked, or how.. Everything. I never once thought that Quistis would be pregnant again, with my own child. When I saw her again, when she came looking for her son, it took me days to believe he was mine. I counted weeks, months, trying to find out in some way that the dates were off, that maybe it hadn't been seventeen plus years, maybe more. It felt like more. I know thats not a father, Squall, to start denying his own kid's existance. I don't know how to be a father, but I can't help but want to. It's a double edged blade, twisting both ways. I want to, but I can't, because I know I'll just fuck up." 

"Being a father is a give and take process, Seifer." Squall started after a long pause. "You have to give and give some more and let him take, and be willing to give again just so he'll have what he needs. It sounds bad, the way I say it, but it's the best feeling in the world, to be able to give so much to one person, and continue until the day you die. You'll fuck up, hell, we've all fucked up some time. But it's the giving that keeps it steady." 

"I don't know if I can." 

"You just proved that you can by _giving_ my father-in-law a broken nose." 

"He doesn't like me." 

"He needs time to let it sink in that you're actually his father." Squall smirked. "Remember me and Laguna?" 

"Yeah." Seifer growled. "Exactly the opposite I want." 

"You don't exactly have much say in this Seifer." 

"I don't have any say as to what happens to my own kid?" Seifer scoffed. "Stupidest thing I've ever heard you say, and I've heard the whole shitload." 

Shrugged slightly, Squall turned his gaze away from his friend, staring intently out the window. "It's up to him whether he accepts you or not. Not you. Nothing changes the fact you weren't around to see him grow up. He doesn't know you, doesn't have any connection to you. It'll take time. You know that." 

"What if I'm too late?" 

"Seifer." He pressed his lips together in a thin line, his stormy eyes unsettiling. "It's never too late. Never." 

With a defeated look, Seifer sighed, standing up and stalking across the room. His shoulders slumped dangerously with the weight of the earth pressing down on them as he lifted a hand to press sharply against the elevator button. A whirring sound filled the room and instantly Seifer stepped back, letting the doors open to reveal and disturbed Taelon, who looked up at the brooding man thoughfully. Giving him a curt greeting, Seifer stepped past the boy and walked to the elevator, waving a slight hand towards the two remaining Leonharts as the elevator whirred to life once more and carried him to the ground floor. Taelon watched as he disappeared, and suddenly turned to Squall, a confused look on his face. 

"What did you two talk about?" He demanded calmly. "Mister Almasy seemed upset." 

"C'mere Taelon." Squall whispered coldly. Carefully, Taelon stepped towards his father, crooking his head slightly. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when Squall's strong arms engulfed him in an embrace, pressing him hard into his chest until he could feel the boy breathe. Taelon tentively wrapped his arms around his father's ahoulders, pressing his hand deftly into his back. Squall responded carefully, holding his son tightly in his arms and giving him one last squeeze before explaining his awkward behavior. "I'm so sorry Taelon. For everything. 

"Dad, it's okay." Taelon responded, his voice muffled by his father's shoulder. Pulling away he pressed the palms of his hands behind his back, staring fruitfully up at Squall. "Is everything alright?" 

"What? Yeah. Where are the Dincht girls?" 

Taelon shrugged. "Miss Trepe is driving them and Miss Kim to see Ian." 

"And the Kramer twins?" 

"With Mister and Mrs. Kramer." 

"So.." Squall sighed. "Everyone's safe so far. The uproar hasn't hit so bad. Although it'll be talked about for weeks.." 

Taelon let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head slightly. "Don't worry about it, dad. It happens. Give us a new bit of steak to chew on and we'll toss this bone out the door. Soon the fact that Ian's been arrested will be history, and we'll start talking about Giselle's new hijincks, or how one teacher was found in the secret place making out with a student." Taelon shrugged then, a slim smile on his face. "It'll happen. This generation's attention spans are so short you can't possibly think that we'll remember anything that happened three hours ago. It's just that way." 

Squall smiled weakly, a familiar twinkle in his eye. "I don' know any other person lucky enough to have a son like you, Taelon." He said. 

To which Taelon replied "You know? Me either. You just lucked out, I swear." 

Father and son spoke for what seemed like minutes, yet droned on for hours on end, speaking to one another and revealing to eachother their thoughts, feelings. When finally the tears began to shed for the loss of a mother and wife, did they finally let one another into their hearts to strengthen the bond that would forever tie them together in eternity. 

* * *

He had requested to see her first. 

Collete pressed her fingers into his, entwining their hands together as she stiffled the urge to scream. Every moment she felt inside the cell was causing her to halucinate, memories of their failed SeeD mission coming forth sharply. It was then that everything seemed to fall apart, the bits and pieces of the puzzle flailing into a mess nothing seemed to be able to piece back together. With the accidental death of their temperary Instructor, and the realization of Ian's heritage coming out truthfully in a full circle blow was both painful, and mistrusting. She didn't know, at the time, to either trust him or disregard him as a bothersome fly, when once his web of lies he had spun had come undone and his whole truth was revealed. Carefully she gave his fingers another squeeze, feeling his own thumb gently stroke along side her wrist and then cup her hand in both of his. The lies he had said, the pain he had caused, yet he was exactly like her. She couldn't tell if it was her hand that was shaking or his own, but either way she preferred the latter, and half wondered if maybe he was thinking the same thing. 

Pulling her eyes to meet his, she gave him a weak, slight smile, a plain crook of her lips before she spoke, her voice cracking no matter how hard she tried to stay in control. "So." 

"So." 

"You didn't have to come here you know." She whispered with a low voice. "You could have fought back." 

"And?" Ian said pitifully. "Go on the run? Can't do that." 

Collete gazed up at him wantonly, frowning slightly with discouragement. "It wasn't your fault Mrs. Leonhart died Ian. You don't remember anything, right? I mean, the same thing happened to Matron Kramer you know? And she was aquited for all that mess." 

"They can't do that for me, Cole." Ian said. "They can't. I have to face up to what happened. You know that." 

"It's not fair." 

"Life isn't fair." 

"I can't believe that." She sighed again, laying her free arm out on the table and resting her hed on top of it. "You still could have run." 

He was quiet for a few moments, as if thinking his words carefully before he spoke them. "I don't know if I could have left so much behind." He whispered. Leaning down towards her, he pressed a soft kiss into her hair, leaning his forehead against her own. "I know I couldn't leave you behind either." 

"Ian.." She murmured softly. "We have to talk." 

Ian winced slightly, lifting his head to look at her. "The four ugliest words in the human language. What's up?" 

She breathed in deeply before she spoke, closing her eyes against his. "Giselle blackmailed me." 

"What?" 

"Into.." Collete paused for a moment, rethinking her words, wishing that somehow she could have kept them inside. "I think you know." 

"When we..?" 

"Yeah." 

She felt his hold on her hand loosen deftly, suddenly grow cold, and heard his whisper. "Fuck." 

Collete lifted her head from her arm, gazing up at him. Fatigue closed around her eyes, dark circles forming atop her face and her skin, pale and tired. She shuddered, feeling cold and afraid as icicle fingers danced along her spine. Ian pulled his hand away from her and turned away, folding his arms across his chest and staring across the room, away from her, his mismatched eyes focusing on anything but her presense.The akward silence fell deafening, until Collete couldn't take it anymore. reaching out carefully she touched him arm, and cried out when he pulled away, seething inwardly enough to have a blue simmering glint on his cheeks. In the back of her mind she wondered why his face churned a cyan hue, until his thundering voice chilled the air as he called to the guards. 

"Hey!" Ian lashed out. The faintest cloud of mist formed from his lips and Collete cringed, remembering his subtle transformation. "We're done here. Send in my mom." 

"Ian, no!" Collete hissed. "We're not done talking..!" 

"We're done _period_." He snapped at her. "As far as we're concerned, it's over. Now get the hell outta my sight." 

Strong arms grasped her shoulders gingerly, lifting her from her seat with not much force. Her body felt limp and empty, hollowed out as if someone had taken a knife and dug out her very core. It hurt. Bad. Bad enough that she didn't feel any fight in her anymore. 

As the guards ushered her towards the exit she stole one last glance towards him, and frowned. His back was facing her, and his head was bowed, his features tarnished with regret, yet she knew that she was the one who had caused it all. Suddenly he looked as if he belonged in the dank hell hole of the prison. He looked older, wiser, a million lives living through one soul, one withered vessel taking each heartbeat as if it were anew, yet never wiping away the troubles that plagued. It hurt worse to see him like that, living stone full of sudden hatred when just seconds before it was full of admiration and peace. The last sight she saw of him was his hand, creeping up to his shoulder to cradle himself carefully, trying to some how reclaim the warmth he had felt alongside her, the smoothness of her hand in his own, as if it belonged entwined together. She knew that was it, for she was feeling the same thing. 

"I'm sorry." She shouted, loud anough so that it echoed on the walls and banged into his eardrum. The echoing did not stop for a few seconds that felt like an eternity, and he cringed as her voice shouted at him over and over until finally it disipated out, and the calm, soothing voice of his mother reigned. 

"Mom?" Ian whispered, turning his body to face her. Quistis stomped in angrily, shaking off the guards who pressured her to remained quiet and shouting obscenities to each and every other prisoner who gave her a leering eye. Even then, Ian took note, she looked classy, with a sailor mouth and her fists gripped, ready to bear her knuckles down into anyone's skull. 

"Ian!" Quistis shouted, slamming her elbow into the ribs of one guard who held her back. He crumpled to his knees and grimaced, raising a hand to hold back any other guards that threatened corperal punishment. Behind her Youngju came strolling in, a pleasant smirk on her face at the remains of the Prison's finest, and a disgusted glance at the one sprawled on the ground. She stepped up to the mother and son, who were embracing one another hard and smiled warmly at the sight. 

"Seems like your mother opened a can of kill 'em all on these boys." She snapped, giving the one on the ground a sneering gaze. He had a large form, of at least six foot five, yet he cowered in her presense like a scared pup. "Get outta here." She snapped, throwing an arm out to the side. "Before you become a stain on the wall." 

The officer removed his helmet and shook free his dark hair, letting it fall about his face. Youngju laughed at him, her dark eyes twinkling with humor that reached her core. She had seen his type before, even handled a few of them. "Crack head." She smirked. "Get outta here and go get your fix before I make an example outta you." 

The officer narrowed his golden eyes and gave a curt nod, replacing his helmet and stomping out the visiting quarters while adjusting his uniform. Turning to Quistis, she sighed, sitting down in an ajacent chair to watch the bittersweet reunion. 

"I'm going to get you out of here." She spoke the words fast, convincingly. Tenderly Quistis wrapped her arms around Ian's neck, holding him close enough to motherly run her fingers through his hair. "I don't care what it takes, even if I have to break out a wall and drag you through it." 

"I'll be fine." Ian said coldly. Gently he pushed hr away, wary of the remaining guard cocking his gun. Sitting down, he folded his hands infront of him and hung his head. "Funny, you never thought you'd see me like this huh?" 

Quistis shook her head. "Not in a million years." 

"I-I didn't even expect it that soon." Ian brought his clear gaze to his mothers, silently pleading with her. "You don't think I'm a killer do you? It's okay if Caraway does but if you do I think I'll kill myself." 

Quistis shook her head quickly, pressing her lips together in a tight line. "No, never, I can _never_ think of you like that, honey, I know you're not." 

"I thought that one time. Long time ago." He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows, shaking away the painful thoughts. "Mom, Ijust wanna go home.. Is that too much to ask?" 

"After we settle this," Youngju chimed in. "We can go back to Garden. Don't worry, we'll get you ho-" 

"No, not freakin' Garden." Ian growled harshly. "I mean _home_. Home, as in Esthar, as in that big glass city on a whole continent, as in.. that place." 

"We can't do that, boy." Youngju started in before Quistis could speak. "We gotta settle out what happened in Balamb." 

"...Exactly." Quistis narrowed her eyes partially towards Youngju, who ignored her piercing gaze. "Beside, don't you want to say goodbye to everyone before we go? Seifer is still there. Your father-" 

He flashed her a venomous sneer, warning her not to continue. "_Don't_ call him my father. I don't _have_ a father, I have a sperm doner." 

She winced slightly, finding the words to go on. "Speak with Taelon, talk to him and maybe mend the fences since hd doesn't hold you responsible. And Collete, I know you and her-" 

"Are history. " 

"What?" 

"Yeah, Tae. I need to see Tae." Ian interrupted, ignoring Quistis' questioning eyes. "But he can come to Esthar with Commander Leonhart next time he visits. Everyone else there, I'll send them letters." 

Youngju smirked. "If you're anything like your mother about writing letters, they won't see the light of a post office." 

"Thank you Miss Kim." Quistis growled. 

"Anytime." 

"Mom, home." Ian began again. He reached out and gripped Quistis' hands in his own, resisting the urge to whimper. "Please. That's all. Just.. get me outta here and take me home. I'd rather be here than Garden anyways. The last thing I want to see is Seifer Almasy and Balamb. And Garden. Don't wanna see Garden." He paused. "Rather rot here." 

Quistis sighed, slowly closing her eyes and giving a slow nod. She had wanted him and Seifer to connect, find some similarities in each other to grasp one another still with their cunning minds and intellect to to challenge one another as well as comprimise. Finding the right words, she parted her rose lips to speak, stumbling across gibberish until a strong hand eased itself onto her shoulder in a calm, soothing way. Across the table from her she saw Ian's eyes light up with hope and appreciation, familiarity filling them while a weak smile crossed his face and he sighed, as if in some way seeing that his guardian angel had come forth to brinig him from the depths of destruction and beyond. Slowly she turned, facing a barrage of hazel eyes that gleamed with strict discipline and honor, piercing into her own tainted shield. 

"Ordin?" She whispered. Carefully, he took his hand off her shoulder and gave her a wan smile, brushing his aurburn hair out of his eyes. 

"Yeah, it's me." He said, his voice choked and tired. Dark circles plagued under his eyes and new lines crossed his youthful face. Pulling another chair from an ajacent table he lowered himself into it, careful not to wrinkle his uniform. "When I heard Ian was here, I was pitted onto the paperwork. I'm not sure how it happened but the details were pretty gruesome." 

"Ordin!" Ian finally found his voice as he shrieked loudly. "Man, it is _so_ good to see you. I swear if anyone can help me it's you." 

Ordin gave Ian nod and a grim smile, staring at the yuth with anticipation. "Ian, how are you doing?" 

"Shitty, pissy, lousy, and that's the good side." Ian smiled desperately. "Please, tell me you're here with good news." 

"Well, that depends on what you mean about good news." 

"Huh?" 

"Ian, I've actually come here from Esthar and Balamb." Ordin began. "Caraway's calmed down enough to agree to a forced house arrest, along with a pending trial, considering you weren't fully involved in Heartilly's death itself considering she refused treatment." 

Trial, fine, good, I deserve one." Ian smiled. "As long as I'm not here. But that's good news, right?" 

Hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Ian's smile faltered. "Ordin, the hell is going on?" 

"You've been released into the custody of Balamb Garden," He continued, hesitating. "Under the hand of Seifer Almasy. He will be at your side for as long as it takes, but at least-" 

"Awww hell _no!_" Ian shouted. He yanked his hands from Quistis' grasp and stubburnly crossed them over his chest, growling "Like _hell_ I am going back to fucking Garden! No! _Never!_ You'll have to take a body bag and shove my dead rotting-" 

"He'll go." 

"Say _WHAT!?_" Ian glared at Quistis, baring his teeth. "I'm not going!" 

"You're not staying here." Youngju cut in, giving Ian a cold stare and smiling when he backed down. "You're going to go back to Balamb and be under the care of Daddy Dearest, or you _will_ end up in a body bag. Don't you know how dangerous the prisoners in this prison district are? You're too pretty to be staying here, and they know it. So I'm betting if you're here one night you're gonna be some bastard's bitch, and he'll make sure you beg for more, or your next home will be six feet under." 

"But-" 

"Don't interrupt me boy." She barked. "I brought you into this world and I can sure as hell take you outta it." 

Silence held the room for a few desperate moments, with everyone figeting in their own way. Finally giving in, Ian stared at the ground silently with out gazing at Ordin or anyone in particular he said in a low, hushed voice "When do we go?" 

Ordin shrugged. "Right now, if you're ready." 

Ian nodded, accepting the road that fate had apparently laid out for him. As he stood to leave the room, out of the corner of his eye he saw the glimmer of hope crossing his mother's beautiful face and inwardly felt a leap of darkness. For the first time in his life, Ian thought she had gone finally gone utterly, completely insane. 

* * *

Giselle yelped and ducked, narrowly missing the flying small glass marbles that flung towards her from her sister's hand. Collete's rage echoed on the walls, and Giselle screamed when she saw the mirror image of herself trampling on towards her, fingers suddenly turning into claws as they outstretched towards her, clawing and grasping at the ai were Giselle formerlly had been. Collete had come back to the Garden, tears in her eyes and her teeth gnawing against one another continuously. When gabrian stepped up to her and playfully hit her arm, asking her how it was like to visit her 'jail bird' honey she had replied by smashing her fists into his face, over and over until he screamed loud enough to grab a of onlookers, while Contessa rushed forward to pull the angry girl off her twin. With help from Taelon and Angie, the crowds ushered off, only casting backward glances towards the mess that had been created while Contessa desperately tried drawing an explanation from the withered and angry girl, and balked when she had recieved none. Collete had merely stomped off, with out so much as an apology Gabrian demaned in shouts as he cupped his broken nose, shouting that he would get her back some way. 

Instead, Collete had made her way to her own twin's room, tightened the Ergheiz gloves across her wrists and tore the door from it's hinges with a combination Aero spell and her own might. 

The pearls fell to the floor, glinting in the light of the room as only three cracked open and spread, their shimmering glints lying still as the others rolled from their string to the floor. Giselle looked at them and then at her sister, her brown eyes wide with fear. 

"Fake." Collete hissed, her voice unusually calm. "They're fake." 

"I-I know.." Giselle stammered. she cowered in the corner, shielding her self from her sister's wrath. "I know they're f-fake, Colie.." 

"_Don't call me that ridiculous name!_" Collete shouted, her clenching her fists at her side once more. "They're fucking fake. How the _hell_ could you fence those bastards for more in Deling?! Huh?! Sell fucking _glass_ in Deling?!" 

"I'm sorry Colie-Collete!" Giselle shrieked, her voice sounding strained. "I j-just wanted us to be closer, more like sisters than aquantances!" 

"How the.." Collete laughed then, a strange, thrilling sound that froze the marrow in Giselle's bones. "Oh.. I see. So, you fucked up with your boyfriend, so I fuck up with Ian.. yeah, so much like sisters. I'm right about that, aren't I?" 

"No, no you're not." Giselle stood up from her cowered position, carefully sitting on her bed. Her fingers ran over the glass beads that fell there, and carefully she fingered them. "I mean, you know I'm not a.. ya know.. I thought if maybe we had that in common we could get along more.. I mean.." 

"So. You decided to pretty much force me to make an important decision, just so we could have sisterly talks." She shook her head slowly, blue eyes widening unbelievingly. "You're a fucking loon." 

"No, I'm right and you know it!" Giselle whimpered. Sensing the calmed nerves of her sister, she rushed to carry on, tripping on her own tongue. "We've never been close like Tessa and Gabe are. How come we're not like that? Why? Ever since we were born we've been at each other's throats, and it's not fair. Not once have we even shared a decent meal where we've talked, we've really talked! We're not twins, we're not even sisters, we're just people who now of one another and that's that." 

Collete snorted, crossing her arms around her waist. "And the problem is?" 

"It shouldn't be that way!" She picked herself up from her place on the bed and crossed the room, spreading her arms open. "We should be close, we're twins! We should have that bond, you know?" 

"We don't _have_ a bond other than being blood." Collete spat harshly. "All you seem to care about is whatever you want, no matter who you hurt in the process. It doesn't matter as long as _Giselle_ is happy. I can't live that way, nor do I want to. Nothing can make me turn into you." 

"I dont want you to be me." The other twin sighed, casting a downward stare. "I just don't want you to hate me so. I worry about you Cole. You're so cold, and only let some people in, like Daddy and Ian. Anyone else you push away. Even Amira's closer to you than i've ever been and you've only known her for less than a year. It's not fair." 

"Life ain't fair. Get over it." 

"It can't be this way!" 

"You made it this way when you were born." Collete turned on her heel and stomped out of the room, leaving her sister behind with out another word. Carefully she treaded across the halls, ignoring the knowing gazes of her classmates as she stomped down the hall. Her throat felt as if on fire, painful scorching into the tender flesh of her neck while her rage burned. No one had ever betrayed her so harshly, heavily thrown words of decieval her way like her own sister had. Angirly she treaded, her feet moving fast paced and blurred to the naked eye until strong arms gripped her shoulders and turned her around, making her face the hard yet warm stare of her father. With out words he spread his arms open and pulled her close, his fierce bear-hug softening her toughened exterior. Carelessly she pressed her fingers into the muscles of his back and trailed them along the broad length to finally grasp her wrists together and pull against him, tearless sobs shuddering against her will. Zell gave whom ever had stopped to stare a harsh enough look to send them off, until finally Collete released her grip and pulled away, folding her arms tiredly against her body. 

"You alright sweety?" Zell asked her, lifting a heavy hand to her shoulder. 

She shrugged her petite frame quietly, tilting her head softly. "I guess so." 

"I'm not asking you to love her." 

"I do though." 

Zell nodded. "I know. She's hurt you real bad this time?" 

Again Collete shrugged. "I dunno. It doesn't matter. The stress of everything, it's getting to everyone. Sometimes.." 

"..It just sucks to be a twin?" Collete nodded, and Zell smiled. "Hey. How 'bout you, me and mom, just take off tomorrow? Gissy's gotta stay here and finish up some extra credit she's taking." 

Collete shook her head slowly, knitting her eyebrows into a frown. "Dad, Gissy doesn't have extra credit-" 

"She does now." 

"Dad!" 

"W-What?!" Zell laughed, his chuckle light and featherly. "Mom's her teacher, you understand. I'm sure all I have to do is give her our baby blues and she'll be all for Giselle melting in a puddle of paperwork." Carefully he pressed his forehead into Collete's, wagging his eyebrows playfully. "Beside. We need to talk, 'kay?" 

"Do we?" 

"Yeah." 

She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling fatigued. "Daddy, about Gabe and Tessa." 

Zell closed his eyes and sighed, nodding sadly. "I know. About the link." 

Collete pressed her fingers to her brow, rubbing the tender skin as the begginings of a headache formed. "Can you explain it to me then?" 

He gave a heavy sigh and pulled her towards teh shimmering fountain, sitting down next to her gently. "Y'see.." Zell began, finding the right words. "Gabrian and Contessa are twins, born from a sorceress. It's never been discussed, but if a sorceress has twins, something very rare indeed, then those twins have a bond, a link, something similar to how the sorceress had a knight, you see?" 

"So.. Gabe's is sort of like Tessa's knight?" 

"If you want it that way." 

"Gross." 

Zell chuckled, a thin smile forming on his lips. "No, not gross. You're thinking in the way that Aunt Rinoa and Uncle Squall are. Or were." He stopped himelf then, shutting back tears. "I mean.. No. They're linked. Mentally, and almost physically. When they were born, it was the first time they were ever seperated, 'cause even in the womb they continuously held their arms around one another. They're close as can be. But because of the link they can't be to far apart for too long. It'll drive Gabrian crazy." 

"But that's not fair." Collete shook her head slowly. "Gabe and Tessa don't deserve that. To go crazy, what do you mean?" 

"See, it's kinda like a rubber band.. umm.. Hold on." Zell reached into his pockets and pulled free a small piece of latex, a busted rubber band, and stretched it between his fingers. "Okay, here, look see? Its like this. The farther apart they get, the stretchy-er the bond gets, and the less stable. Thats why-OUCH!" 

She stiffled a laugh when the band suddenly broke, snapping harshly against her father's fingers. Zell grinned, seeing his daughter smile, and continued. "Thats the bond. It comes from Edea. If Taelon had a twin, it'd be the same too. Except one twin is more dominant than the other, which is Gabe. Tessa's more stable, but Gabe's dominant.. uhh am I making sense?" 

"Just.." She raised her hand and pinched her fingers, wincing slightly. "A bit more than usual." 

"For once!" He pressed a large hand into her shoulder then, smiling grimly. "It's confusing as hell, but it's been known for years. Thats whyGabe went on the SeeD trips that Tessa was leading. We never know how long they're gonna be gone." 

"And Gabe goes crazy if he's not around her." 

"Precisely." 

"I feel for them." Collete sighed. "I really do. But I don't have that bond with Giselle. And I don't.. want it either." 

Zell sighed, his chest heaving. "Honestly? I wouldn't want it for you either." 

They began walking again, quietly, looking at the floor mostly, until Zell piped in a hushed whisper. "Ian's gonna return ya know." 

"He is?" 

"Tonight, I think." 

"Oh." 

He tilted his blond head to her face, gazing at her serenly. "I figured you'd be happy, sweety." 

"I guess I can be." 

"Why don't we go have that talk with mom now?" Zell smiled, his teeth shining with anticipation. "Load up that brat sister of your's with more work than she can ever handle. C'mon, I'll even let you pick out the books and all that gunk. Or, whatever. Heck, give her something to disect, like the cafeteria Jell-o or something." 

Collete pressed her lips together and snickered, thoughts of her twin swamped in a world of mobile green goo filling her mind. Lifitng her face, she smiled into her father's bright blue eyes and wrapped her arms around his body once more, letting her resolve fall and letting the feelings of nostolgia surface. Fleeting thoughts of when her father held her when she cried like this flooded her mind, shoving out any memories of her sister, or even Ian. All too sudden she realized she had grown up, her childhood slipping fast through her fingers like liquid drops of silver, shining in the light before they splashed into nothing. It hurt. A lot. 

"Hey dad." She murmured, narrowing her eyes slightly. 

"Yeah? 

"When the hell did I ever become such a chicken wuss?" 

Zell smiled, and in silence they walked. 

* * *

Never had Seifer ever been so uncomfortable in his whole life. 

Ruby Dragon, it's harsh scales striking at you as it's hot, firey breath screamed poison into your pores? Not a problem. An Adamantoise, highly leveled, hasted, precise in it's attack? Nothing to worry about. Even the almighty T-Rex of Balamb Garden's training center, his teeth gnashing and snarling at you, while miscalculated blow blinds you and lifts you into dream land before it's tail sends you there permanantly? Child's play compared to sitting next to the immovable source, the rock of hatred that seemingly dreaded each minute just as much as he did as they passed by like hours. Seifer cast a long, hard look at his son and let loose a small breath that he had no perception of ever holding. He sat there, arms folded across his chest with his eyes narowed, glaring at the road ahead of them. One denim clad leg was folded under neath him, and another pulled painfully atop the one bent knee, in a lotus position Seifer figured to be the best way for the boy to retreat into a makeshift shell. Anything to ignore the possibility of me existing, huh? He thought as he gripped the steering wheel tight until his knuckles burned white. Even after pulling every string he could in the book to pull the boy from his jail cell, even bribing a few officials with some of his hard earned gil, he was still just another waste of flesh in his eyes, a useless mass taking up space. 

Being with your son shouldn't cause any discomfort, he reasoned with himself. Just do as Squall says. Yet when he turned to look at the boy his resolve to be a loving father faltered and suddenly turned into a condensed rage. 

"Put your seatbelt on." Seifer growled. 

"Drop dead." 

Seifer winced slightly, as if hit. "I said, put your seatbelt on. When I drive, you put your damned seatbelt on." 

"No one asked you to drive me." Ian barked back, still not moving from his position. "Mom could have done it herself. Not you." 

"Your mother is busy sorting a few things out in Esthar." Seifer stated in a monotone. "Now do as I say." 

"I'd rather let a Garuda gut me and eat my entrails than listen to you." 

"Do it." 

"Bite me." He replied sarcastically. Seifer narrowed his gaze. 

"Now." 

Ian rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. The mere sound of air pressing through the boy's lips was more than enough to bring Seifer's anger to a full boil. Loosening his grip on the steering wheel, he pulled the car to the side of the road and brought it to a full stop, turning off the ignition and then turning to Ian, his lips back, baring his teeth. "I said, put the damned seat belt on right now, or I'll do it myself, and if I some how make it across your scrawny little body with out choking the living daylights out of you then you better be thanking Hyne for sparing your miserable little life!" 

"But-" 

"_I said put the bloody seat belt on now!"_ Seifer shouted, turning sharply to come face to face with the miss matched eyes of his son. "Before I tye you to the back of this fucking car and drag you back to Balamb!" 

Ian winced slightly, and then nodded, slowly snaking his hand up across his shoulder to grip the leather strip between shaking fingers. His eyes never leaving Seifer's face he pulled the metal clasp to his hip and clicked the metal teeth inbetween one another, not daring to blink until the monstrous face was away from his own. When Seifer finally pulled away Ian heaved a small sigh of relief, quickly resuming his annoyed stature. 

"You suck." 

"I know." 

Ian huffed. "And you're no fun to be around. Always sitting there with this sour puss look on your face." 

"You're grasping straws, kid." 

"So." 

Seifer sighed. "Why are you so angry with me? You don't have a damned reason to be." 

Silence then. Seifer turned to look at him, watching his features as they contorted and relaxed, over and over as a barrel of emotions surfaced and then ebbed away until the currents once again gave into full force. It took him a few minutes to respond, when Seifer opened his own mouth to tell him to say something did he finally whisper his feelings his resentment. "I hate you." 

"We already know that." Seifer barked. "But you don't have a reason, and that's what I'm looking for." 

"So not being there when I was growing up isn't enough?" Ian spat. "And then just coming back into our lives like nothing ever happened and try to be all.. be all.." 

"How am I supposed to respond to that?" His foot slipped on the gas pedal, causing the car to slow for a bit until he pressed down on the accelerator again. "Just how? Say your mother left me to die with the one man I hated most? You don't know the whole story, kid. You just don't know. And I bet you've never even thought to ask." 

"I guess not." 

"Stupid kid." Seifer pressed down on the gas pedal once more, pulling the car onto an old dirt road. "I thought she'd be smarter than that, to teach you what actually happened. Make you believe the truth, that if I had known she was pregnant I woulda made damned sure to get outta there alive, sought you out." 

Ian shifted in his seat uncomfortably, moving slightly to switch his legs and thrusting his other one underneath himself. "So why didn't you anyways?" 

"Did I what?" 

"Look for mom." 

Seifer sighed, shutting his eyes for a mere split moment. "Somethings.. you just won't understand. It's a long story. I don't want to rehash it out with you because eitherway you'll just end up hating me even more, no matter what I say." 

"Who is Angustus Trepe?" 

Green eyes flared fire before his senses took control. "Where did you hear that name?" 

"You." Ian smirked at the subtle shock in his father's eyes, and leaned back in his seat dauntingly. "You asked me in the D-District prison if I was related to Angustus Trepe." 

Seifer persed his lips together and remained quiet for almos a minute, until finally he broke the silence with a tight whisper. "Forget I ever said anything about that. ANd don't ever say that name infront of me again." 

"_Everything_ is a long fucking time ago!" Ian snapped. Angrily he slammed his fist into the side door, hissing when he felt the briefest moment of pain before his rage took over. "No one tells me a fucking thing! My past, my life, nothing, none of it is my damned business, even if it involves me. No one told me the real reason you supposedly died, no one told me about Garden, no one told me my mother was the head Instructor as a place I never knew of, nothing! Do you honestly know what it's like, growing up with out know your freakin' past? WIth out a past, a damned history I don't have a future! You don't know what that's like!" 

"I don't know what not knowing what it's like?!" Seifer slammed his foot down hard on the accelerator, pushing the car into a full jolt of speed, slamming both of them back harshly into their seats. "Growing up, not knowing who the hell you are, why you're alive? Not knowing what to do with yourself? I've _lived_ that lie, and had it fuck me over ten fold! So don';t you go on getting your briefs in a twist because you don't have the answer to one question you want, and then automatically expect me to-" 

"_Seifer watch what you're doing!"_

Seifer turned sharply to the road, and twisted the steering wheel to swerve away from hitting an oncoming truck, causing the car to grate on it's metal frame and send sparks flying out on the road. A deep ditch along the side was narrowly missed by a turn of the wheel, causing Ian's head to smash against the front window, leaving a small spatter of blood through the spider webbing of the glass. He shouted in pain and knelt his head down, gripping his ears while Seifer pushed on harder, hearing the tires on the car sudenly burst while the smell of burnt rubber filled his nostrils. The scar skidded slightly and then turned again, landing on it's side. Surrounded by bloody glass and twisted metal, Seifer grunted to himself and slammed his body against the car, motioning for Ian to do the same. When they accumilated enough force for the car to slam down ontop of it's wheels, they both climbed out of the mangled wreck and sputtered dust from the air in their lungs, finally turning to look at one another, with Ian's snarling face streaked with blood. 

"Where the fuck did you learn to drive!" 

"That truck came out of no where!" Seifer shouted. "Beside I was too busy arguing with you to see!" 

"Moron you coulda gotten us killed!" 

"I would not!" 

"Would have!" 

"Will you just shut up for five bloody minutes?!" Seifer shouted. Heartlessly he kicked a flattened tire and swore, ignoring Ian's protesting words. "Fucking hell, I drag your ass out of prison.. 

"Seifer..." 

"..Use every damned hook up I had to get you.." 

Ian began to shake, his eyes widening. "Seifer, wait.." 

"And what do I get?" He paused, then turned to face his son. "Some smart mouthed little.." 

"Seifer shut the hell up and look behind you!" 

Raising an eyebrow, Seifer turned his back to Ian and gazed at the distance behind him. Above him, the sky seemed to have an eerie glow to it's blue surroundings, a small sun in amidst of no where. The wind around them had picked up, causing chills in their spines as a subtle, quiet ripping sound of tearing fabric tore through the air. All too sudden it blew up, louder and louder, leaving a ringing in their ears as the sounds of death bells and the smell of crimson and brimestone attacked their nostrils, causing Seifer to shout and Ian to fall to his knees. Dust cut through harshly, stinging their skins as another gust of wind threw them back, bringing them both to their knees. Shutting his eyes, Seifer shouted at his son to get down, and get behind the overturned vehicle for cover, and squinted to see his son instead of obeying his orders, scamper towards him. Reaching outwards Ian grabbed at Seifer's arm and began to drag him behind the car with him, setting him down before leaning his own back in fatigue against the battered door. 

"What the hell.." Seifer began, spitting out dirt. "What the hell is that?!" 

"I don't know." Ian whispered. He pulled his knees up against his chest and began to shake, pressing his breath out between his lips. "Why.." 

"I don't know why." Sighing heavily, Seifer took one glance back at his son and recieved a shock. Ian's skin had a blue tint to it, and whenever his breath left his lips a soft, translucent mis accompanied it. His hair had gone to a platinum shade, and he shook, like a dying man in the middle of a snow storm, as he sat there gazing at his own hands in fright. Seifer ran his tongue across his lips and finally opened his mouth to speak, a chill touching his spine. "Ian, what are you doing?" 

"I'm.. c-cold.." He whispered, shaking his head. "Why.. Why is this happening to me?" 

Without knowing why he did it, Seifer crept along the shielded path to Ian and wrapped a strong arm around the youth's shoulders, pressing him into his body. Ian felt cold, ice like to the touch, like one long past and gone yet still his heart beat hurridly to accustomize itself to the turrents of the freezing assault on his body. Gingerly, Seifer pulled Ian into a tighter embrace and shut his eyes against the unnatural storm, disliking the feeling of dread and discomfort that accompanied his thoughts. 

"We'll get you back to Garden and see what's going on." Seifer said, amazed at how calm he let his voice be. "We'll help you, Ian, we will." _Oh Hyne, up in heaven, please, please pleasepleasepleaseplease..._

"No." Ian murmered, his eyes getting heavier as each instant passed by. "I-I don't think anyone can help me now." 

Seifer didn't have the heart to face the truth, that just this once, his son might be right. 

************************************************************************************************************   
I know it's late, it's lame, don't flame. Please, do not flame. This is almost over, about 3-4 more chapters to go and maybe an epilogue, not too much, but just review, please.. *runs away* 


	25. Dispair

Dispair   
**********

A small child wandered the streets, clutching a small golden haired doll. Tears streamed down from her bright blue eyes as she called out for her mother amongst the flaming village, and her dirty fingers clutched tightly around her little doll's head, stroking it's matted hair. The once golden tresses were now stained with red, congealed blood, the liquid remains falling down her fingertips. It wasn't until moments later did she realize that the blood that had caused her doll pain actually drizzled from her own forehead and accumulated on the plastic scalp, yet her mind refused to believe anything other than Maggie was hurt. 

"Mommy?" She chirped sadly, watching the remains of her home burn aflame. "Mommy?" 

Carefully she plucked Maggie from her arms and stared the doll straight in her eyes. One eye was cracked, and broken, while the other remained intact. "You be a good girl, Maggie." She said, smiling. "It hurts, but mommy will help us." 

The doll didn't respond, and the girl sank to her knees, running her fingers through it's tattered hair. Her tears glistened with curved flames reflecting in their depths as they reached onward and upward, touching the skies with their heat filled fingers, leaving blackened trails in their wake. 

Hanniele laughed as she waved her arms about, languidly scoffing at any one who came towards her. They fell to their knees in troves, their hands clasped in front of them, begging for consolation and their lives, yet with a swift smile they were banished, their bodies torn asunder by a command of her arm. Their cries were music to her ears, and with a glittering smile she sat down, her fingernails pressing sharply into the cushioned armrests, as she listened to the tortured screams of the former inhabitants of Winhill. to her, it was meaningless fun, watching a town built by love and strong hands thrown to the ground. It didn't take much to do achieve such a status; simply encounter the weak, and overpower them like the strong should. The sea of scalded heads and burnt hair proved that to be true. 

"It all comes down to this." She purred, languidly tracing her fingers over one armored shoulder of the private of her army. "And all it took was the boy. Gateways never came easier." 

Drakkar nodded grimly, ignoring her touch. The woman was cruel, to the deepest core. She sacrificed a child, and destroyed two innocents in the same night, and celebrated by bathing in their blood. He shut his eyes away form the gruesome sight of one woman, screaming, as her body burst into flames, while Hanniele's laughter rang along with her armys' thudding footsteps as they trampled the woman to her death, stomping out the flames with their muddy footprints stained in blood. One war tainted marshal lifted his boot, scowling as a small piece of brain matter fell from his boot to the floor. Looking beyond the man's head, he gazed at the remains of this once peaceful town, and scowled. He was only in this for the recruit, simply to pay his dignified due that his father before him once had, carry on the family name in this forsaken journey, yet he didn't expect to include senseless killings in this act. Each cry for help was like a knife wound to his body, cutting up precious skin and destroying whatever shell he had erected to help him continue this charade of a takeover. 

"It hurts.." A small girl cried, her voice sounding like it was drowning. He chalked it up water in the lungs due to the poison the army had released. He turned on his heel and walked away, unable to stomach any more of the bloodshed. Watching children die was not part of the job description, he thought, his mind racing for any plausible answer to the genocide. His stomach churned ever so slightly, his body wavering and he narrowly avoided staggering to his knees, hissing to himself to pull it together, get a grip. 

Yet when one shrill scream combined with Hanniele's laughter echoed across his ears he lost all control, emptying his stomach contents on the dirt road, and splashing onto his feet. Laughter filled the air, along with hooting calls signaling others to join them in their chanting. Shutting his eyes, Drakkar shook numbly, breathing calming gasps until the urge subsided. Staggering to his feet, he waved a flippant hand in the air and walked. 

He knew this was wrong. He knew it. He knew he might as well die for it. 

"I'm going to hell anyways." He grumbled, forcing his feet to move. "I might as well go out in style." 

* * *

Quistis stroked her sons' hair calmly, watching as his cool gaze traveled over every face in the room. Seifer eyed him warily, his face contorted with fatigue. Irvine gave him a subtle sneer over the barrel of his rifle, while Squall and Zell sat across from one another, absent-mindedly playing cards. Squall's look held mild interest in the card game itself, while Zell seemed engrossed in every detail. Laying down one piece that flipped the board, Squall gingerly shoved the pile to Zell, who in turn gave him a small sneer of disgust and shoved it back. 

"I lost, man." He grumbled. "Pay more damned attention." 

"Oh." 

Seifer shook his head. "You two. Grow up." He barked. "Ian's awake now." 

Zell perked up almost immediately, casting a glance towards Ian. "Oh yeah? Cool! Hey wassup?" 

"Nothing." Ian said, shrugging his shoulders. "What happened?" 

Irvine groaned in disgust, inciting a cold glare from Quistis. Clearing his throat he stood up and slung his rifle behind his back, tilting his head forward slightly. "Apparently," He began. "Something happened while contorting you back here. You and your daddy-" 

"Don't call him that." 

"-Fine. You and _Seifer_ were in a wreck. You froze up, and passed out, while the sky tore in pieces. After you went out cold, no pun intended, whatever was tearin' the world apart stopped, as if it acted while you were awake or something." Irvine gave a curt nod towards Quistis before replacing himself back in his seat. 

Ian nodded. "So how'd I end up back here?" 

"Seifer carried you." Quistis spoke up. "He carried you from the road to here." 

"Carried me." 

"Yes." 

"From the road to here." 

Quistis paused for a moment. "Yes." 

"Great. Just great." Ian looked back to Seifer. "Don't expect anything from me, like gratitude." 

Seifer rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, mumbling under his breath. "As if. Rotten kid. Can't believe I had to lug your body back here. You were like a block of ice, kid, I kept expecting you to melt on me." 

"So why didn't you just leave me?" Ian's voice raised slightly, destroying what calm nerve he had left. "Would've made things easier for you, wouldn't it?" 

"Oh, yeah, right, just what you'd have wanted me to do," Seifer growled back. "Just so your mother could kill me? Sure, I know you'd just _love_ that!" 

"Well you seem to think it's open season on my mother's pants, so hey, why not use your flesh and blood as ammo!" 

"That's low, boy." Seifer's eyes narrowed viciously. 

"Not as low as not being there for your own son." Ian spat. "And then coming back like everything was okay." 

"I didn't know you existed! How many-" 

"-'Times do I have to tell you? Your mother thought I was dead!'" Ian finished for him. "Ya know, you might as well think up a few new lines to add to _that_ excuse." 

Seifer reddened. "You miserable, ungrateful.." 

"Shove it up your ass." 

"Shut up _both_ of you." Squall growled. He lifted his darkened eyes towards Ian, a scowl perched on his hardened features. Ian gasped inwardly at the look of the man; He seemed to have aged ten years since he had last seen him. Dark circles caressed his features, as well as lines around his eyes and mouth. His skin was pale, and he seemed to have little or no control over a subtle shaking in his hands. His hair was unkempt and unruly, and dark stubble pocked his skin. "I'm tired of the both of you. Bickering, bitching, whining, moaning and groaning, do either of you ever _stop_?" 

Seifer rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest while Ian sulked. Squall ignored a glare from Irvine before standing up and walking to the side of the bed. Folding his arms, he refused to look the boy in the eye as he spoke, instead opting to face the ground. "Look." He whispered. "It doesn't matter whether or not he was there. You grew up with out him. He didn't know you existed. You can't blame the man for it. You can't blame anyone for it. It was just a matter of bad luck. That's all." Finally he brought his withered features to face him. "Do you understand, boy?" 

Ian stared blankly at Squall. "Wow, you look like shit." Quistis slapped him behind his head harshly. "Ow! Mom?!" 

"Don't swear, Ian." 

"But-" 

"I don't want to hear it. I said no swearing." 

Ian scowled again. "Never cared before." 

"Well I do now." Quistis replied curtly. "And stop slouching." 

"Humph." 

"I mean it, Ian." Quistis looked away and gave Squall a helpless look. "Squall, that was a nice speech you made, but it won't help us out with what's at hand. We need to figure out what's going on, and fix it. Fast." 

Irvine cut in before Squall could speak. "What's there to figure out?" He said. "Ian awake, sky tears apart faster than you can shoot it. Ian passes out, and it closes before you can get the bullet through. So whatever it is, it's his fault." 

Ian scowled. "Gee, Instructor Kinneas, I'm so glad to have your support." 

Irvine gave a lopsided grin before continuing. "Well, think about it. Kinda coincidental, ain't it? I mean, well.. Look at the facts. Whatever's happening, is happening because of you. O' course, I've been doin' some thinkin'." He ignored the heavy scowl from Quistis and cleared his throat before he spoke again. "Alright, so it may not be too clear thinking, but listen, okay? Seifer said you were like a block of ice when he carried you back." 

"Right." Ian said, nodding. 

"Okay, so anyways, don't you remember all that garbage with that Hanniele woman?" Irvine questioned, holding his hands out in front of him. "Has anyone of you ever held Shiva's hand? Actually touched her? I mean, seriously touched her?" 

"Quit your sicko perverted fantasies, Irvine, and get to the damned _point_!" Seifer barked, irritation lining his voice. "Hyne, of all things to think about, you head straight to your pants." 

Squall spoke before Irvine could. "No, I see where he's going.." He murmered gazing at the ground. "Hanniele made Ian absorb Shiva. Seifer said that Ian was like a block of ice, and that everything turned cold. When Seifer came back, and he was checked over, Kadowaki said his hands were almost frost bitten. As a matter of fact they were in the first stages of being so." 

"So?" 

"So, _Seifer_, I honestly think that there may be some merit to that." Squall stepped towards Ian and grabbed his wrist, twisting it upwards and rolling up the sleeve. "Just as I thought." He murmured quietly, holding up Ian's arm. Ian gave Squall a cold look and snarled. "Down boy.. Anyway, look at his arm. See the welts, the marks?" 

Quistis frowned and snatched her sons' arm away from Squall, ignoring the squeak of pain Ian emitted. The small scars were tinged aqua, bruising slightly around the diameter while the heads came into a white point. There were six going down his right arm, criss crossing at his wrist, and three down his left, raised scars that seemed ugly and old. Seifer walked to the other side of his bed and plucked out Ian's other arm, examining the welts carefully, and bringing his eyes back to Quistis for a moment before tracing them back to Ian's arm. Another line criss crossed at his wrist, and when Quistis forcibly pushed his sleeve to his shoulder, a large, blue scar lay on his bicep. 

"What the hell is going on here?" Quistis murmured quietly. Seifer looked up and shook his head. 

"There's one on his neck too." Squall said. Ian obediently lifted his chin and felt Squall's lithe finger trace lightly across his skin. "It's just forming, and you can barely see it, but it's there." 

Ian snorted and pulled his arms away from his parents. "I feel like a damned guinea pig." He grumbled. "How long until you hook me up to IV's and start a drip feed to see how long I last?" 

Quistis scowled. "Ian." 

"Hey mom, why don't we just get a catheter in here or something so I don't even have to leave if I have to take a piss?" 

"Ian, stop it." Quistis said, her voice tight and controlled. "You have to understand where we're all coming from." 

Shifting slightly, Ian pulled the sheet off his body and swung his legs to the floor. No one stopped him from standing up and stretching, before sitting on the edge of the bed. He ignored Quistis' calling of his name, and stood up once more and walked to the window, staring outside. "These marks on my hide, you know what they resemble?" He asked. Silence in the room, except for a nervous shuffling. "Remember that kid that died? I bet if you look at my back the skin looks flayed. Blue scars. Down to the same way that kid was torn apart. These scars, don't you recognize them? Down to.. Down to the same way that kid was killed." 

"How the hell do you know?" Seifer demanded. 

"You think I didn't have a damned front row seat?" Ian shouted back over his shoulder. "You think I didn't watch him die? You wanna ask questions; ask Mister Leonhart why or how he knew I'd be marked up like this! Ask Mister Kinneas how he knew the connection to Shiva might have been! We didn't know this shit, so why should they?" 

Quistis walked over to Irvine and glared at him. "Talk, Irvine." She demanded. Behind her Seifer stalked Squall, who was casually ignoring his brooding stance. 

"Aww, Quisty, just calm your pretty.. self.. down." Irvine flashed a charismatic smile that faltered when he realized it wasn't going to soften her hardened exterior. "Um, okay. Well, after you left, weird things started happening with the GF's, especially with the new kids who were really into 'em. And I mean, into 'em. Squall, remember Topher Stiles? 

Squall quietly nodded his head, and Irvine spoke again. "Topher was addicted to 'em, kinda sorta. It got weird when he kept screaming that he was in love with Siren. Just about had the boy locked up if it wasn't for Gabrian. He kept tellin' us he was joking around, messing around. We found out later the boy had actually become infatuated with Siren, and Gabe was covering it up." 

"So what's that got to do with me?" Ian asked. 

"Squall interrupted. "Topher got obsessed. Completely… he couldn't take it anymore. While we always use them for power, he used Siren for everything but, until one day she absorbed so much into his memory that he had actually started to think that he was her. He thought he could fly, basically, and walk on water. Of course, he couldn't, and drowned. We found him washed ashore on the beach after a few hours, and when he was autopsied, it was discovered that he had similar markings on his body that Siren had. His head had scars where her wings would be, his arms, legs, markings of similar discretion. He had apparently absorbed Siren enough to have her markings. I think that's what's going on with you, Ian." 

"But Shiva's clean." Ian remarked casually. "Anyone who's seen her knows that." 

"But not the one you were... attacked with. That one was pox-marked with scars. Her arms, legs, even her back… Oh Hyne.." Squall's face went ashen. "They killed the boy the way.." 

"They killed Shiva?" Irvine spoke. "Remember how we found out Siren died?" 

"Drowning." 

"Topher." Seifer growled under his breath. "Topher drowned. Siren drowned. Next you're gonna tell me Ifrit-" 

"-Burned up like a firework display when someone let loose a match." Irvine finished for him. Seifer gave him a harsh stare. "Yep, burned to death. With Shiva it was different, though. She was cut up and her blood frozen, then it redistributed back into her body. Kinda creepy isn't it?" 

Ian gasped. "You don't mean to tell me my blood's gonna be drained and then thrown back into my corpse? Oh hell no. No way, no how." 

"Ian, stop it." Squall said. "Topher died willingly with Siren. Shiva hasn't engulfed your brain, just your body, so whatever happened with Topher won't happen with you." 

Ian hesitated a moment before attempting to speak, but was cut off suddenly by a faint ringing. Squall raised a hand to silence any inquiries as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, watching the numbers that appeared. "Laguna?" He grumbled, flipping open the top receiver and pressing it against his ear. "Fine time to give me a ring up, father. Yeah? Uh huh. What!?" 

Seifer's head shot up sharply and he glared at Squall. "What happened? Hey, Pubes, what's going?" 

Squall waved an arm and gave Seifer a dirty look, mouthing an obscenity before returning to the phone. "Every last one of them? Are you sure? You've checked them _all_ right? Oh Hyne.. What? When did this happen? Dear Hyne that was when Ian..." 

Ian winced as he saw Squall mumble an apology and hang up the phone, slipping it back into his pocket. "Dead." Squall whispered, staring blankly. "Winhill.. Everyone in Winhill's been slaughtered. Everything, nothing, everything... oh god, nothing is green within a two mile radius of that town. He tells me… everything is red. The air smells like copper… There are bodies, everywhere. Oh my god…" 

Irvine choked out a gasp, while Seifer and Quistis remained quiet; their heads tilting in a silent mourn. Uncomfortable shuffling was heard, and when they lifted their heads, Ian was gone. 

* * *

"You know you're going to lose, right?" 

"Not on your life, dumb ass." 

"Ooh, spiting words from he Great Dincht." 

"And don't you forget it." 

Collete smirked. Playing basketball with Gabrian Kramer was always a fond past time of theirs, even if they almost never agreed on anything else. When he was dating her sister, even then they'd always find a few spare moments to toss around a ball and throw it through a chained loop, shoving their winnings into each other's faces like spoiled children with candy. In everything else they sparred in, with a vengeance unmatched, but when it came down to the court they always found solid ground to either bad mouth one another, laugh at one another, cause harm, or otherwise, just talk. 

"So what's up with Renzuka?" Gabrian asked her. He slid the ball around her right side as the question caught her off guard, throwing it high and whooping as it slammed into the hoop. 

Collete sneered and snatched the ball away. "No idea. He came back a mess, and everyone's interrogating him now. So I don't know." 

"I figured you'd be the first one in the Infirmary, griping." Gabrian smirked. He reached over and grabbed the ball away again, motioning towards the bench on the side of the court. Ignoring the towel he offered, she instead opted to reach into her gym bag and grab a water bottle, tossing him one as well. "Thanks Dincht." 

"Yeah." 

"So." Gabrian uncapped his bottle and took a gulp before speaking again. "How are you two love birds?" 

Collete scoffed. "We're fine." 

"Fine, as in, fucked-up, insecure, neurotic and emotional?" 

She choked up a laugh. "Sounds about right." 

"Ya know, Dincht, you don't deserve that guy if he's gonna treat you like the trash he talks." Gabrian capped his bottle and wiped his mouth. "I mean it, considering this whole blah funk you're in is probably his fault." 

Collete gave Gabrian a dark look. "What makes you think it's his fault?" 

"The fact you're not talking about it." 

"Well you make about as much sense as usual" 

Gabrian shrugged. Uncapping his bottle again, he spoke before he took a long drink. "Yeah, okay, so I'm wrong. What did you do?" 

"Slept with him." She said casually. Gabrian choked on his water and spit it out. 

"You did _what_? Oh, damn, Dincht." Gabrian wiped his mouth with his forearm, dropping his water bottle. He stifled a laugh that could not be contained as he inched closer. "Geezus f'n Hyne, what the hell did you say? You actually screwed Fresh? _The_ Fresh? Stole his cherry right out from under him?" 

Showing disgust Collete socked Gabrian in the arm, hard, to stop his giggling. "No, dumbass. I didn't take it that apparently happened a while ago. It's a long story, let's just say it fucked up the friendship, because I slept with him for the wrong reasons. Okay?" 

"Man you are so not whiny." Gabrian gave her a calm smile before clearing his throat. "So you didn't love him?" 

"Of course I did. Do." 

"Then I don't know how things could have gotten so salty with the two of you. I know for a fact Fresh isn't the type to screw and take off." Collete gave him a confused gaze, which Gabrian took note of. "He was raised by his mother, no father around. Mirs. Trepe isn't the needy type, as you can see, but she's really maternal. She threatened to kick _my_ ass when that crap in the Tomb happened, and boy, would she have. He's a mama's boy. I bet he's tried it once, and his mother kicked his ass then. She's a strict one, Mrs. Trepe is. 

Collete shivered and shrunk down a bit, slumping. "She'll probably kick my ass if she hears." 

"About?" 

"Nothing." 

"Of course." 

"Bite me." 

"With pleasure." Gabrian gave her a polite smirk before speaking again. "Look, Colie-" 

"-Don't call me that ridiculous name!" 

"Fine. Collete." He rolled his eyes as the small smile she had. "Whatever happened happened. Get on with your life. Whether it was your fault or his, nothing can be done now with out a mega apology and then maybe some time. I I know you, Cole, and frankly, I doubt you'd do too much that a little humble pie won't cure." 

Collete began to speak before Gabrian raised a hand, silencing her. "Tut! Silence is golden when the great Gabrian speaks." 

She sneered again. "Jackass." 

"Of course." 

Collete sighed again, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I'm just scared, Gabe. Is it nice to say I've never felt this way about anyone? Or is that too cliché?" 

"Cliché to the gills, Dincht. But hey. It's true. But sometimes, things just aren't meant to be, no matter what." Gabrian swung a heavy arm over her shoulders and hugged her tight. "I mean, look at your bitch sister. And me." 

"Of course." 

"Of course… Stop taking my lines, Dincht, or I'll kick your ass. Anyways." He cleared his throat. "I actually thought her and I were gonna go off in our white little carriage and all that shit. Ya know, wait till we graduated SeeD, get married, have kids, the whole nine yards. Before Miss Prissy I never felt that way either. But ya know that's done and gone now." 

"Right." 

"So now, we're not even friends because I was caught up in that lunacy. But, know something?" She shook her head. "I still love her. In a way. But it's fading. I love her in the way that she showed me that I wasn't the complete cold, utter bastard I figured myself to be." 

Collete frowned. "Did you date for about six months? Isn't that kinda short?" 

"Stop pressing details Dincht." 

"Riiiight." 

"What did I say about questioning me?" Gabrian chuckled and hugged her tight. "Look, I know, we're not exactly the best of friends, nor will we ever be. But look, Cole, I don't want you upset. We're cool, on the court at least. I know you think I'm the most impeccable of all that is asshole-dom, But look, kid. You and I, we're friends. Deep down, we're friends. We've been through too much shit together not to at least give it a shot." 

Collete snickered. "This must be Contessa coming through. The Gabe I know isn't this nice." 

"Oh Hyne. There you go." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Details. You and details. Gawd, don't ever just shut up and take a dose of the niceness from an asshole every once in a while? You're just like Fresh. Hell, you're even worse, you're like Taelon." 

Gabrian rolled his eyes at her laughter and reached into his gym bag. Pulling out an assortment of food, he plucked out a candy bar and chomped into his noisily, offering it to her and shrugged when she refused. "Treating your body like a temple there, eh Gabe?" 

Gabrian shrugged. "Temple is open to worship. Feel free to kneel down at the alter." 

Collete groaned and Gabrian laughed, taking another large bite and chewing noisily. Glancing around his surroundings he choked on his candy bar and snorted, coughing slightly before slurping from his water bottle again. "Well gee, speak of the devil. Renzuka's out and about like a lost kid in the supermarket." 

Quickly she looked in the direction Gabrian was facing and narrowed her eyes. Ian walked mechanically beside the court, half of his back to them, wringing his hands out in front of him. He seemed preoccupied with himself, his body shaking as if caught in a sharp wind while he mumbled incoherently in low whispers. His pale pallor seemed fragile, and tinged with blue, and he seemed to have lost a bit of weight. As they watched him, they saw his hands creep up his sides and hug himself, like a scared child, and his head lean back towards the sky before gazing down at the ground. Blond locks crowded his face and seemed dull and dirty, dried sweat causing his hair to become stringy and limp, moving lifelessly as he walked, tripping slightly over a large walk and stumbling to his knees. Collete rose from her seat and began to walk towards him, until Gabrian's hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. 

"You think Fresh wants to see you right now?" He hissed, never taking his eyes off Ian. "Stay put. Lemme handle it." 

Collete scoffed. "His worst enemy over his best friend?" 

"Our places, dear Colie," Gabrian growled, digging into her wrist deeper. "Have been switched right now. Stay put, say nothing, and when I beckon you, come." 

"You can't tell me what to do!" 

"No, but I'll be damned if you're going to go over there and play the forgiving girlfriend when it looks like he's heading to the training center and diving straight into a T-Rexaur's mouth." He let go of her arm and gave her a cold stare. "Take it from the jilted boyfriend of your twin sister; seeing either one of you right now isn't going to make everything better." 

Calmly, Collete nodded and sat back down on the bend, crossing her legs and folding her arms around her midsection. Taking a deep breath, Gabrian turned on his heel and walked over to Ian, who was busy brushing his knees off while mumbling in whispers. Gabrian watched him for a few moments before reaching a tentative arm outwards to touch the younger boy's shoulder. The split second he touched him, Gabrian stifled a gasp. Even through the thick sweater he felt the icy coldness emanating from Ian's skin, and the bones working underneath his shoulders. As if he was shocked by a jolt of energy Ian sprung around, his face haunted, and stepped away, still cradling his body protectively. Gabrian noticed his dark hollowed eyes searching his face for recognition before they glinted brightly for a fleeting moment before falling again into miss matched pools of disdain. 

"Oh great. You." He hissed, gritting his teeth. "I don't care what you have to say, just say it somewhere else." 

Gabrian shrugged simply, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Just take it like an observant stranger, Fresh. Noticed you walking, and decided to tag along." 

"Whatta'ya want, Gabrian?" 

"Aw, is that anyway to talk to a dear old friend?" He chuckled to himself, ignoring Ian's cold look. "Alright, bad joke. Heard about your collapse." 

Ian shrugged and sat down on the clean swept floor, easing his legs underneath him. "Word travels fast." 

"Indeed it does." Gabrian plopped down next to him, and leaned back on his arms. "So just what the hell is wrong with you anyway? You've yanked us through time, given us all freakin' headaches, and made your girlfriend cry." 

"Look if you're gonna be a fucking asshole then don't even fucking think of bothering me. I have enough shit on my mind than to have to think up a way to deal with the likes of _you_, so fuck off." Ian wrapped his arms around his knees, cringing. 

Gabrian rolled his eyes. "Well it's the fucking truth. All I can forgive except that girlfriend thing." 

"I wasn't asking for your forgiveness." 

"No shit. But I gave it anyway." 

"What do you want, Gabrian?" He said the name like a curse. "I just wanna be alone." 

Gabrian shrugged. "No you don't. You want the exact opposite. You want someone around, so you don't have the feeling of being alone. Plain enough." 

"Jackass." 

"I'll take that in tune that I'm, as always, right?" 

Ian sighed, and leaned back against the paneled wall. Gabian was right, as much as he despised admitting it. He didn't want to be alone, not during this. He felt the growing pain of a headache nestling between his eyes, stabbing sharply into his brain while his bones ached, just ached. He felt tired then, lethargic, an outsider in an insider's world while he simply stared ahead of him, ignoring any presence around him until he spoke. "Winhill." 

Gabrian raised an eyebrow. "Winhill?" 

"Dead. Gone. That town... it's demolished. And it's my fault." 

Gabrian's sudden gasp only made Ian sink lower. "Don't get all supportive on me." He growled sarcastically. 

"Didn't… Uhh... Did you say Winhill is gone?" 

Ian hung his head. "Yes, yes. Winhill's been destroyed. And it's my fault." 

"Something about that… uhh.." Gabrian cleared his throat. "Why do I get the feeling that whatever happened during that... festival… thingy has a huge part in this?" 

Ian smirked slightly before his face fell again. "You have a lousy-ass way with words, Gabrian." 

"Yeah. Well… Hmm. You talked to Cole about this?" Gabrian asked, attempting to bring some hope into the younger mans' eyes. 

Instead, they darkened, and narrowed. "No." 

"Why not? Of all people she'd be the one to understand." 

"She's a fucking bitch." Ian barked. "Just like her fucking sister. Both bitches, both liars, and both heading down the same fucking path to ruin. That's all." 

"Funny thing to say about a girl who gave you her virginity, Renzuka." 

"She used me to get back at her sister." He sputtered. "Anything she ever told me was just lies. Giselle, Collete, they're just… just… Hyne, you dated Giselle. You know what it's like to get screwed over by one of the Dincht twins." 

"So nothing can be done now to mend your screwed up friendship?" 

"Right." 

"Even when deep down you know, that she just may be the one sane piece in your life right now." Gabrian continued calmly. He leaned back against the wall and turned his head towards Collete. She had taken to absentmindedly searching through his duffel bag, and plucking out an apple to munch on curiously. She didn't look their way, only away gazing in another direction, fiddling with a long lock of hair that fell over one shoulder. With a scoff Gabrian leaned towards Ian, and smiled when he noticed that he wasn't alone in his semi-spying. 

"Look at her, Renzuka." He whispered. "She's lost. She knows she did wrong, whatever it was. Knowing Cole, though, she couldn't have been alone. She's not a bitch, she never was. Her sister and her are like two sides of the same coin. Same mold, but completely different. She cares about you, too much if you ask me, and for someone to care about someone like that, it couldn't have been completely intentional." 

Ian winced. "Maybe not." 

"So." Gabrian grunted, turning to face him. "Instead of dwelling on Collete, I suggest you go right to the source of your problem." 

"Which is?" 

"Giselle." 

Ian scowled. "Oh just the name to make my day even worse." 

Gabrian laughed cynically, giving a trademark arrogant grin. "Anything to do just that. Anyway, I'm just letting you know. Don't take shit out on Cole. She's cool." 

"What about Giselle?" 

"Give her Hell. And while you're at it, give her a couple kicks in the ass. Everyone assumes you're nuts, so it'll be okay." 

Ian choked out a hearty laugh over that comment, wrapping his arms over his shoulders. "That is _so_ fucked up." 

"Hey, just use it to your advantage. Hyne, you're a dumbass." 

"Thanks Gabe." 

"Don't thank me." Gabrian smirked. "Do yourself a damned favor and forgive, forget, and get the hell on with your life. Leave Giselle to me. Whatever part she had in this, I'll find out. And whatever happened in Winhill, I doubt that's your fault either. So shut the fuck up already, stop whining, and fix whatever's wrong. Use the hand you're dealt because you're not gonna get a better one for a while." 

Ian nodded. Standing up, he shook a little but felt relieved when Gabrian shot up quickly to steady him on his feet. Giving a slight nod, Ian walked towards Collete, leaving Gabrian behind to watch the scene unfold, ready to pounce if things got bad. He watched as Ian crept up to Collete and placed a withered hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around with a shocked look on her face. He didn't hear their talk, only noticed a few words being passed between them, but even Gabrian couldn't stop the relief from flooding his veins when Ian reached over and hugged her, softly, laying his head on her shoulder and she did the same. 

'_Well._' He mused to himself. '_One problem taken care of. Now, time to take care of Miss Prissy, and show her that no matter what she does, there will be no way in Hell she will run Garden._' 

With that he walked towards the exit of the court, musing to himself just how sweet his revenge would be. 

* * *

Taelon laced his boots methodically, over looping one lace after another before setting down his feet to the floor, take a deep breath, and then buckle down the overlapping straps to keep his ankles in place. Moments before his father had knocked on his door, and suppressed a shock at seeing Angie's presence within his sons' quarters, but ignored them while he relayed the details of their next mission. Winhill had been demolished, nothing left but stumps of trees and corpses, all drenched in crimson life fluid that was now turning black from contact with the air. Upon hearing the news Angie busied herself in her studies, reading mechanically, turning page after page of information beyond words from a book that had long ago been thrown aside for being unfair and untrue, but at that particular moment, held more truths than they had witnessed. 

"You ever read this, Taelon?" Angie murmured, pulling the book closer to her face. "Ever read the similarities between the Festival of Time and that Festival they made Ian do? Of course they called it something different, but…" 

"What're you getting at, Angie?" Taelon asked, looking up from strapping his boots tightly around his ankles. 

Angie sighed, glancing at him from over the rim of the book. "Whatever happened then, was meant to be, I think. This book talks about the old times rituals. They were brutal, your typical sacrifice of a virgin child thing, always looking for a way to be one step ahead. It says here they actually succeeded with the Tomb king, Tsunan, and figured when he died he could be used as a portal to bring in a lesser descendant of their clan." 

Clasping his boots once more, Taelon raised his chin to meet her face, tilting his head slightly in a scowl. "Speak in English, Angie. What're you getting at?" 

Taking a deep breath, Angie read a line in her book, tracing it with her finger, before speaking again more coherently. "Their main objective was to control time, therefore which they can succeed in teleporting from one dimension, theirs, to another, ours. They figured out what had occurred wrong, and therefore perfected it with the loss and bloodshed of many children along the way. See, they used Tsunan's body as the door, and Ian went through. Ever wonder why Ian was able to go through, but not Gabe?" 

"Stick of bad luck?" Taelon half joked, smiling. His face straightened when Angie's face deepened with a scowl. "I mean… well no." 

"Hanniele said that Ian was a descendant from Mister Almasy's line." She replied curtly. "It says here that they needed that, a distant bloodline to connect to and bring back, and then send on their merry way so they can come through as well, using that descendant as a doorway, I guess. Can't use the King, because he's dead, and doesn't have Shiva running through him." 

Taelon frowned. "Wait. So they did that Festival thing, with Shiva and crap, and sent us all back, so that Ian could be their doorway? Why didn't they just send themselves back when we went back?" 

Angie smirked. "Would you believe it's taboo?" 

"Not really." 

"Believe it, because that's the reason." 

Taelon raised an eyebrow. "Come again?" 

Angie cleared her throat and sighed, scanning the book page quickly before she talked. "It's taboo. They could if they wanted, but for some odd reason they believe that they need their host, in our case, Ian, as an anchor to keep them in this world." She closed the book and set it on her lap, a small smile perched on her lips. "I think it could be true. I mean, with Ian alive and running about, they're allowed to be in our world. Or so this book claims." 

He synched his boots up sharply, and stood up. With a curious look on his face, he reached into her lap and plucked the book deftly from her grasps, skimming through the pages quickly. "Where the heck didja get this, Ang?" 

She hesitated a moment before answering. "NORG's library, in the basement." 

"Say _what?!_" Taelon dropped the book to the floor, and stepped away from it carefully. "You are going to get yourself killed someday Angie. You're one nosy person, you know damned well no one's allowed to go down into the basement except my dad." 

"Then your daddy shouldn't leave his keys in the elevator slot." Angie stuck her tongue ot at him. "He should have let us down there sooner. Why were these books kept there and we aren't allowed to see them?" 

Taelon shrugged. "I dunno. I never asked what went down there. He doesn't even like going down there, but sometimes it has to be done." He sat down next to her and began skimming the book cover, opening it up to a random page. "Maybe because it goes against Hyne?" 

"Does it really matter?" 

"To the Garden Faculty, yeah." 

"Those idiots who run around like mindless androids?" Angie smirked, setting the book aside. "They work for your dad, not the other way around." 

Taelon shook his head and picked up the book once more, flipping absentmindedly though the pages. "They're also religeous freaks who would rather die then have their precious ways proven wrong." 

"Weirdos." 

"Yeah." 

Angie pouted. "So. I guess this means, what? Tell your dad?" 

"My dad would never listen to us." Taelon started, annoyed. "We might have a slippery chance of being right, and we should never undermind Squall Leonhart. As much as everyone worships him, I just don't see it. He's Dad, plain and simple. But I know, this is the last thing he'll listen to." 

"Why do you say that?" 

"Because. We could be right." 

Angie shrugged and leaned down to tug on her boots. A knock at the door startled both of them out of their silences. Quietly Taelon pulled the door open, to reveal his father standing, stiff and cold. His weary gaze traveled over Angie's fidgeting form before placing directly on Taelon. The boy blinked a few times before realizing with a shred of doom what had conspired. "Dad?" 

"Taelon." Squall's voice was monotone, with a distinct hint of sarcasm. Taelon swallowed. 

"How much did you hear?" 

"Enough to know that maybe I don't listen to you enough." Squall's voice was bitter. "Get ready you two. Taelon, you're next to me on the Ragnarok. Angie, you're.. You're with Ian and Quistis. Taelon, you have to help calm your grandfather down." 

Taelon nodded slowly. "Grampa... loved that place, huh?" 

Squall nodded, and closed his eyes, turning on his heel. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words seemed lost and he closed his lips and shook his head, walking out the door, leaving a very confused son, and an understanding girl. Taelon began to head out after him, but a strong hand grasped at his arm. 

"Angie?" He started, frowning. "What're you doing? I have to ask Dad something." 

She shook her head. "No. Remember who else is buried there?" 

Taelon hung his head and Angie nodded. "It can wait." 

* * *

Ian was silent for most of the trip, his mind wandering. Every once in a while Quistis would reach over and stroke his shoulder, only to have him turn away and gaze vacantly out his side window. Across from him, Angie tried stirring up some mindless chatter, dictating the latest gossip to catch his interest for a few moments before she eventually too fell back against her seat in annoyance. Longing howls could be heard from the seats behind him, as Laguna shed his tears for his former home, his choking sobs unconsolable by his son and grandson as they murmered soothingly to make attempts to cease his broken feelings. Eventually they, too, gave up, Ian noticed, and consisted with sitting on either side of the older man, grasping his hands as he mourned. Seifer stepped towards the front of the hanger and knelt down before the cascading clouds, clasping his hands together in a silent prayer before standing on his feet and crossing his shoulders in a traditional ending of a prayer. 

Ian watched, a bit disturbed at the sight. "You pray?" He asked. 

"Almost every day." Seifer said in an even tone. "You don't?" 

"I gave up on Hyne." 

"Since when?" 

"Since you showed up in my life." 

Seifer sighed, and shook his head. "Someday, Ian. Someday." He said matter of factly. "We all have to atone to what we've done. I wasn't there for you growing up." 

"Yeah." The young boy snapped. "So when're you gonna atone for that?" 

"You ever think for a moment that maybe with your additude, I am?" Seifer gazed at his startled look before speaking. "You never once thought that maybe your thoughts aren't your own? That some higher power lurked down and hypnotized you into thinking you're not who you think you are?" 

"What're you getting at?" Ian folded his arms across his midsection. "I'm not you." 

"You may be more like me than you ever wanted to be." Seifer growled through grit teeth. "You think you were under control when Garden blew? You think you knew what was going on when that kid died?" 

"I'm nothing-" 

"-Like me. Yeah I've heard that line from you before but every single day you end up more and more like me when I was your age." 

"Funny." Ian smirked then, his eyes glittering. "When you were my age you were on a homocidal rampage across the globe." 

Seifer flinched, feeling bruised. "That's a low blow kiddo." He snarled, turning to face Ian. His face was contorted with rage, the line sof age showing fiercly. "I may have done that, but don't count yourself so fucking lucky. Just remember where we're going, and why we're going there, before you _ever_ say that to me again." 

Ian faltered for a moment, losing his composure. He glared fiercly at the older man, who tilted his head back and laughed, tauntingly in his son's face before shaking his head, in utter amusement, giving him a toothy grin. It was at that moment Ian hated the man with a passion that burned like fire, scorching his veins. Inwardly he saw Seifer igniting in a maelstrom of fury, engulfed in tainted fingers of flame as they licked up his black coat, singing his blond hair into a smokey black. Seifer's cries echoes in his mind's ears as he screamed in agony, batting furiously at his clothing. 

"_Ian!?_" Quistis shouted, standing from her seat and thrusting her arms outwards. Ian blinked and shook himself out of his trance, and screamed, wathcing in terror as Seifer began throwing down his jacket. Quistis whispered harshly under her breath, casting Water onto the burning fabric, while Seifer cursed loudly. Turning sharply in a flail of blond hair Quistis glared hard at her son, planting her fists at her side. "Ian?! What did you think you were doing?" 

"I-I didn't mean to..." Ian sputtered. Half heartedly he rose from his seat and approached Seifer's coat, kneeling down to study the remains of the fabric. It smelled like burnt cotton and nylon, and charred the collar and part of the sleeves black. Picking it up he approached Seifer carefully, and extended his arms. "I'm sorry." 

Seifer snatched the jacket back ruthlessly, and glared down at it's remains. "It's ruined now." He growled before tossing it aside and walked towards the door. "You better pray to Hyne whatever grade you're getting in Magic is a failing one." 

"I said I was sorry." Ian spoke loudly after Seifer's retreating form. Quistis followed him, her steps quick paced and angry. "Mom? Mom!" Ian called after her. 

She turned suddenly and glared sapphire daggers into her son's face, causing him to cringe. "We land in a half hour, Ian." She said coldly. "Get ready." 

With that she turned on her heel and left him, blank faced and slack jawed. Inside he shook, his mind wrestling with the ideas of his own father burning before he rubbed his head, and sighed, hating the feeling of his own mother's anger directed at him. After a few moments passed he sat back down in his seat and curled his knees to his chest, and buried his face in his arms. 

* * *

"I didn't think it would be this bad." 

Laguna's voice was choking back tears, breaking under the great restraint he put on it.The air smelled of copper tinged with the vile stench of evil and sulfer. He shut his eyes as a strong wind tussled the remains of the burnt grass and shot ash into his eyes, which al;ready streamed tears, and left black war paint marks across his face. As he stepped casually across the mine field of what was formally known as beautiful wheat grass, his false leg cause on an extended root from the ground, bringing him to his knees. He refused to bring his head up, not willing to view the gorge of charred and mutilated bodies of those who hated him and yet loved him. A bit further he crawled, and gasped as his hand came down on a sharpened object, piercing the skin. Pulling his clenched fist away, he stared at the blood in his palm before pulling up the heavy slate, and gazing down at it's lime stone carving. 

"Dear Hyne..." He gasped, reading the name over and over. "Raine.." 

"Father." Squall's deep voice murmered, echoing on the winds. "Please.. We have much work to do." 

Nodding, Laguna stiffled another sob as he replaced the marker to the ground, bringing in all coinciding pieces. "I'm sorry... I lost myself there.. I..." 

"It's alright, Grandfather." Taelon began stepping down the hill carefully, and kneeled beside Laguna. "We just have to check the wreckage. Please?" 

"Wreckage.." Laguna murmered sadly. "Thats all this place is. All thats left. Nothing. Burned houses, scorched bodies.. The people.. Oh Hyne the people..." 

"Gone." A deep voice grumbled. Laguna turned his head and peered behind him, watching Seifer's brooding form approach. "Maybe you shouldn't have come here." 

Laguna shook his head and climbed to his feet, brushing his knees. "No." He barked crudely. "I'm fine. I deserve to bury my own." 

"We aren't burying, we're salvaging. My excavation team-" 

"Your excavation team can go to Hell!" Laguna started after Seifer with a burst, held back only by Squall and Taelon. "Let me go! I'm gonna strangle this bastard!" 

"Father!" Squall shouted. Taelon struggled next to him, pressing lithe fingers into his grandfather's arms and shoulders, pulling him sharply. Sighing in exhasperation, Seifer stepped towards Laguna and held out a gloved palm to his forehead, inchs away from the older man's face. He closed his eyes and chanted a word under his breath, concentration lines forming across his withered forhead. Laguna gave one last thrust away from Squall and Taelon, releasing himself from their grasps and fell to the ground, gasping. Choking out an obscenity he thrust a fist into the soft dirt before slumping against it, breathing hollow and deep. Everyone froze for a moment, staring down at the older man, the tention thick before a loud snoring ensued. 

Seifer stepped forward and shook his head towards the two young Leonharts. "Sleep." He said tonelessly. "Sleep. Not death. He shouldn't have come here." 

"My mother is buried here." Squall spoke calmly. Seifer turned his back and began barking orders to the other children who came along, commanding them to search and salvage whatever if anything that could be, and to help survivors. Squall stepped forward once again and placed a firm hand on Seifer's shoulder, and said more loudly "My mother-" 

"_I heard you the first time!!_" Seifer shouted. Turning sharply he slapped Squal's hand from his shoulder and pushed him back sharply, taking the younger man by surprise. "I heard you! This is a damned mission, Squall, and I don't have time to pat your head and tell you it's gonna be alright, because it won't! Now get off your platform and go take your father back to the Rag, and take these kids to the east side of Winhil for the investigation." 

Squall narrowed his eyes. "When did you become the leader of this?" 

"When you became blood involved. Now go." 

The commander gave him a cold stare before motioning to Taelon for help. Nodding, Taelon reached downwards and lifted his heavy grandfather's arm over his shoulders and grunted under the weight, straightening his legs to support him more carefully. Squall mumbled commands and Taelong followed, careful not to trip, all the while refusing to meet any Almasy eyes. Quistis stepped towards the three men and kneeling slightly, laying a soothing palm on Laguna's cheek and whispering a thanks before allowing them to pass. Squall smiled up at her timidly and nodded, motioning for Taelon to continue, and he did, keeping his head down at all times. Watching them retreat with the limp man in tow saddened her deeply, and she sied, shifting her gaze back to Seifer. He barked orders left and right to the remaining students, including all their children and other students, pointing towards key points of Winhil. 

"You, Kramers!" Seifer spat. "To the west side. Take a squad of three with you and investigate the cave structure. See if any survivors ran towards there and are in hiding." 

Gabrian and Contessa both nodded grimly, and began picking a few extra SeeDs to join them. Seifer turned to Collete and Giselle, pointing towards the upper hills of Winhil, while sending Angie and the now returning Taelon towards the town itself, and pin pointing a few adults to accompany the groups themselves. All complied, with Selphie and Irvine joining the Kramer twins, Squall and Xu with his son and Angie, and Zell with his daughters. Zeifer sighed, shaking his head, until he felt a smooth palm against his side. He twisted a small ways, and let a tiny grin form unwillingly against his lips. With the sun barely touching the mountains against the background against her, she seemed so young again, her faded blond hair back to it's vibrant golden strands, and any wrinkles she accumilated over time faded into shadows that accented her features. Deftly he faced her, cupping her face in his hands and pressing his lips against hers desperately, with a wanton need. She pulled away slowly and wrapped her arms around his waist, nuzzling against his chest. In a mind so far away, Seifer wondered if it was possible to feel at home amidst death and destruction, a battle field. 

"Where's Ian?" Quistis asked, still cradling herself against him. 

"I thought he was with you?" 

Her eyes shot open wide, and she pulled away. "What? No, he isn't. Did you send him with one of the other groups?" 

They stared at one another for the briefest of moments before breaking apart and calling out their sons' name. 

* * *

They didn't ask him to come here. He did it himself. 

The tombstones remained crushed into marble, rubble and rock as he stepped over them, catching a glimpse of a name here and there, listening for cries that he knew deep down would never come. In the back of his mind he knew he had no right to be there, glimpsing their deaths, and watching as they were laid to rest ontop of one another in a heap of cadavars, so he came here instead, to be with the already lucky ones who were fortuneate not to be alive during the massacre. Steadily he walked, the rubble under his feet making it hardly safe for his stroll, until he came upon what he thought was just another marble statue, remaining some how intact. Kneeling down he pushed his arms underneath the charred rock and groaned, trying to push it on it's side, to at least erect it. It seemed lighter than the blackened marble some of the other graves had, and more worn to the touch, with sharpened ridges. 

Almost suddenly the statue groaned, and he jumped back, yelping in fear. It rolled on it's side and swore, bringing itself to it's knees and shaking off a flourish of dust. Strong, tired arms rose to peel off a helmet, revealing glittering grey storm cloud colored eyes, and black hair. "Who're you?" 

"I-I should ask you the same question." Ian spoke, close to a whisper. "Oh man, are you a survivor?" 

"No!" The man barked, pulling himself to his feet. "I'm part of what had caused this mess." 

Ian's face twisted with rage, and he groped at his waist for his whip. "You murderous son of a bi-" 

"Stop it! I've come to warn you." He noticed little resolve in the younger man's stance, so he shook his head, raising his arms. "I'm unarmed. I don't mean to cause you any fear what so ever, I just want to.. Want to.." 

"Finish the job?" Ian spat. He yanked fiercly at his whip, cracking the tip against the ground. It caused a small sputter of dust to form, and he approached the soldier. "You better start talking. Now. And I'll make it painless." 

The soldier gave him a sarcastic smile and folded his arms over his chest, letting his features rest in a sneer. "You don't have the guts, boy. You couldn't kill a damned flea, none the less a human being. I was there when Hanniele made the sacrifice. Not you." 

Ian dropped his weapon and took a step back in shock. "Oh no.. You're that.. That soldier?" 

"Drakkar. You can at least get it correct, boy." Drakkar shifted his armor, grunting in pain. "A broken rib... Better than I could have hoped." 

The younger man nodded, reaching down to pick up his whip from the floor. "What happened here? Is she here? Why?" 

"Does the Witch ever need a reason!?" The soldier grunted, and cursed, kicking the dirt. "She's evil! When you went back, she claimed the king was gone? He wasn't! She killed him! She tore his heart out and claimed it was bandits, but she could not fool the beggers and the rest who saw her! The child who died that night, he was the one she sacrificed to the Shiva. He was their token to silence the fools who saw her kill her husband, and threatened the same fate to all their children if they dare breathed a word. He was killed hundreds of years to the exact day you were sent back, and do you know why?" 

Ian numbly shook his head. Drakkar continued. "Because she is the epitome of evil, boy. Her world, your world, she wants it all, even if it means wiping every last one of you off the face of it." 

He nodded grimly, stepping back. He bumped into a fallen over conder block, and collapsed against it, sitting down roughly. "I don't believe it.. It's because of me, isn't it?" 

Drakkar's face fell. He didn't know how to tell the boy that the deaths of the world were going to fall on his shoulders, no matter what he did. "There may still be a way to change this..." 

"I don't know how!" Ian cried out. He pushed his palms to his face and shut his eyes, wrapping an arm over his head. "How could this happen? Eight months ago at this time I was in Dollet, with my mother, running away, running away to what? To _this_? Hyne... If there was a way, I-" 

"_I _don't_ believe that will be happening._" 

If snakes could speak, they'd sound like her. The thought made Ian's head race with a fleeting laughter before freezing over with fear. Hanniele stepped fluidly and gracefully towards the two men, her silken skirts sending sinful whispers across her skin. She smiled lovingly, belaying any of the evil that she had caused to the town just meters away. Against the backdrop of light she looked hauntingly beautiful, almost angelic in a firey wave of red hair and emerald green eyes that lit up her elfish face with a child like innocence that denied any wrong doing. She slithered towards them, hauntingly like a mesmerizing ghost, and resting against Drakkar's side. 

"You've done well." She purred against him. Roughly he swung against her, and groaned in pain when a small fist jabbed into his broken side. He fell to the ground in a fetal heap, whimpering. "Idiot." 

"You evil, cruel bitch." Ian spat. "I oughtta take you out right here and now.." 

"One shot, young boy." Hanielle purred. She extended her arms to her sides, and twisted her hips, letting the silk of her dress hush against her legs. "One shot, to the left, or to the right, or to the center. Either way, it'll be the only shot you get, boy." 

Rage poured into Ian's veins and he lunged, not with his whip, but with his fists. Within a flash, Hannieled dissipated into a puff of sulfer smoke, choking down the boy's senses and blinding him. Ian sputtered out a curse and flung at the foul smelling cloud, gasping for breath. He didn't feel the lithe, lacquered fingernails driving into his hair and scraping his skull, nor the cool sharp blade at his neck until it was too late. 

"You missed." She hissed, as the blade slowly sank in. Ian's scream came out as a gurgle, choking, as blood began to pour from the wound. "It's not nice to play games, boy. Not nice at all." 

With that she let him drop, back to the ground, as he struggled to breathe. Kneeling down, she dipped a finger into a trailing line of fluid that poured from the opening, and traced it across her lips before pressing a dainty kiss to his forehead. 

"Maybe in another time, or place." She whispered, catching the hatred seething in his mismatched eyes. With a laughter that mimicked the soothing sounds of children at play, she turned on her heel and began her slow walk towards the remains of Winhil, leaving behind two broken souls in her wake. 

Drakkar took a deep breath and crawled towards Ian, pulling him up from his crumpled position. He winced in disgust at the wound she made, and reached into his pocket, pulling a potion from its depths and dousing the wound, praying that in some way it would hold until he finally got help. Pulling himself to his feet, he leaned down and gripped Ian by the waist and hoisted him in his arms, refusing to meet his eyes. 

"I'm so sorry you had to go like this, kid." He grumbled, shifting the boy's weight. His breathing was low and weathered, near the point of wheezing. "You're alive? Still? Dear Hyne.." 

A soft, struggled whisper was heard, and Drakkar looked into Ian's face, and clicked his tongue, shaking his head. Leaning down, he placed his ear close to the boy's lips, listening carefully. "What is it? I have to get you help-" 

"..p..please, don't.. l..let me d-die.." 

He wished he could answer. The walk just seemed so damned long... 

* * *

Special thanks to Quis, for being the sweety she is and beta'ing part of this chapter *breathes a sigh of relief*   
But! It's almost over! not many chapters to go! HAHA! Yes, this damned thing will almost be done with! Eee! Life is good! GAH! 


End file.
